A Wolf's Eternity
by AshtheBlueEyedPoet
Summary: As the third and final segment to the journey between Klaus and Annabelle- they find themselves fighting against fate and prophecy that depicts what their future is going to be. But even prophecies can't always predict the depth of a mother and father's love… Can that be enough to change their future?
1. Another Wedding

_As the third and final segment to the journey between Klaus and Annabelle- they find themselves fighting against fate and prophecy that depicts what their future is going to be. But even prophecies can't always predict the depth of a mother and father's love… Can that be enough to change their future?_

Rated M for: violence, language, sexual situations, possible character death

Ooo0ooO

Prologue: Another Wedding

Deep in the forests of Mystic Falls, standing alone at the peaks of the falls themselves, were two figures. They were side by side, gazing out over the view spread out in front of them as the sun made its slow descent in the sky.

The man stood with his hands in his pockets, his long brown hair tied back in a knot.

The woman studied the view with calm gray eyes. Her own long brown hair was loose and fell in waves to her shoulders.

The silence was broken by the guy, who sighed before putting his arm around his sister's shoulders. "What are you thinking about?"

Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson sighed like her brother had before shrugging. "Nothing."

Charlie Davis looked over at his younger sister with a knowing expression. "Anna."

Then her eyes flashed, signaling her distress. She leaned against her brother and rested her head on his shoulder. "What am I going to do?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

And because he knew her better than anyone else, Charlie kissed her temple, and leaned his cheek against her hair. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"That's not an _answer_ , Charles." Her tone had a bit of a bite to it, but Charlie could ignore that.

"Anna," he said patiently. "I know you have a lot of things on your mind, but you have your family and friends who will stand behind you no matter what happens. And you know that. Trust that."

When he saw that her expression was crumpling, he held her tightly. He rested his forehead against hers, wishing he could comfort her more.

"Come on," he said gently. "It's time to go. The ceremony will start in about an hour."

Sighing again, Anna wrapped her arm around her brother's waist and allowed him to hold some of her weight as they made their way down the falls.

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle could tell Hayley was a bundle of nerves. Her green-hazel eyes never stayed on one spot for more than a second before darting off again. Anna had to keep slapping at her hand to make sure she wouldn't gnaw at her nails and destroy her manicure.

"Sorry," she exhaled, sitting down.

Anna chuckled. "It's perfectly normal to be nervous," she assured the younger werewolf. "You saw me on my big day."

"I found it!"

Rebekah glided into the room, wearing her bridesmaid's dress, which was a deep emerald color. Anna's dress was the same style, but was a deep plum color and instead of carrying white dahlias, she would be carrying roses.

"What?" Hayley asked.

Rebekah revealed a beautiful silver hair comb with tiny etchings of roses. "I believe it belonged to a queen of sorts," Rebekah said humorously. "For something old."

Anna grinned, taking it from Rebekah. Carefully, she slid it into Hayley's hair, placing it just so and stepping back to see the final look. Hayley's thick, dark hair was up in a stylish twist that left her neck bare, with a few whispy strands framing her face.

She stood up and Rebekah and Anna exchanged a small smile. Hayley's silvery white gown sported a mermaid cut with a sweetheart neckline. Anna had given her her diamond earrings for something borrowed, and she wore the silver and emerald charm bracelet Charlie had given to her for something new.

"Now for something blue," Anna announced, turning to pick up the small box she had put on the table. She handed it to Hayley.

She opened it and laughed. She lifted a small baby blue garter with a small pink rosebud and smiled. "Wanna help me put this on?"

Ooo0ooO

Niklaus Mikaelson watched as his brother danced with his new, glowing bride. His lips were curved into a small smile, which widened when his mate leaned against his side.

And when she chuckled softly, he looked down at her. "What's so amusing, love?"

"It's funny how I thought the next wedding I'd be going to would be my brother's, but here we are. I still can't believe Hayley and Elijah didn't tell us about their engagement until a _month_ before the wedding…"

Klaus laughed.

Indeed, it had been a surprise when Elijah and Hayley had announced that they were planning on getting married a month ago. They had been engaged for some time, according to Hayley, who claimed that Elijah had proposed when Klaus and Anna had left for their honeymoon. Hayley told them that he had done it by the river, when she had been wearing an old shirt of Anna's, and had been caught completely unaware.

Even now, Klaus looked over at his new sister and to the ring that glittered on her hand. It was a rose gold with a row of diamonds along the band, accompanied by a simple rose gold wedding band. Elijah now wore a dark titanium band, which was etched with the Mikaelson crest on one side and the Davis crest on the other.

When Hayley had asked Anna if that would be all right, Klaus's mate had embraced the younger werewolf and said that they might only be distant cousins by blood, but Hayley was more of a sister to her. Charlie reaffirmed this, reminding Hayley that she would always be a Davis.

But now she danced in Elijah's arms as the newest Mikaelson. She chose not to hyphenate her name as Anna had done, saying it was for Anna and Charlie to keep on the Davis family name, and that she was only an honorary Davis anyway.

Klaus smiled again. "Do you want to dance, love?"

Annabelle looked over at the guests who were dancing, which included Patrick and a few members of Eve's pack along with some of the vampires from the Quarter, like Marcel.

Then her gaze drifted to Charlie and Meredith, who were sitting at a nearby table and talking, each holding a small Hybrid in their arms.

Hope and Mason Davis-Mikaelson were growing even faster with every day that passed. Their first birthday had already passed, and now they were starting to talk more. Hope was even trying to stand up, always wearing a determined expression that reminded Klaus of her mother.

When he felt Anna's reluctance through the soul bond that bounded their hearts and souls as one, he looked her hand and kissed it, before drawing her to her feet. "Come along, love," he encouraged.

Anna gave him a brief smile before stepping into his arms, following his lead as they swayed quietly together. She pushed away her distracting thoughts and focused on the feeling of her mate's arms around her, and the happiness that came from knowing that Hayley and Elijah were going to be starting their new lives together as husband and wife.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or The Originals.**

 **Author's Note: And here we go! Please review.**


	2. Our Solemn Hour

Chapter One: Our Solemn Hour

" _In my darkest hours I could not foresee  
That the tide could turn so fast to this degree_

 _If we can't restrain the beast which dwells inside  
It will find its way somehow, somewhere in time  
Will we remember all of the suffering  
Cause if we fail it will be in vain_…"

-Within Temptation

Ooo0ooO

Throughout his life, Klaus Mikaelson had cursed fate more times than he could remember to count. He did remember, however, the first time he cursed whatever god or deity had been listening at the time he had found out that he was a marked man, not a simple human being that had been turned into a vampire, but a werewolf turned Hybrid.

He remembered the first time he had changed after making his first kill as a vampire, turned by the man he had believed to be his father. He remembered screaming in agony and how no one had helped him. They only called him a monster, spat his name, turned their backs. But quickly they learned that turning their backs on him could very well be the last thing they ever did.

The last time Klaus found himself swearing up towards the open sky was the first time he heard the prophecy marking his children like angels of death, the ones who would bring the end to the vampire race. His grief and rage was measured differently than his mate's, who had lost herself in the chaos of it all for many days.

No, Klaus Mikaelson carried his rage deep within, where it boiled black under his skin, where it always had since he had first felt its spark so many years ago.

As a father, and as a husband, he looked at the family he had somehow been blessed with and wondered why it had been handed to him like a double-edged sword, which pierced his very heart and soul every time he looked at them. He wanted to protect them, he was certain that nothing could ever stop him from trying, but when it came to fate, he had seen its greedy, cruel hands mold his life into what it had been and what it was and once more, asked whatever divine being was listening why they had turned their hand against him once more when he had found a sliver of true happiness.

Charlie Davis had called it Murphy's Law.

Hayley Mikaelson called it a sick, twisted joke.

Rebekah and Elijah Mikaelson had called it the trials of fate.

But Klaus Mikaelson had always seen it as another reminder that any happiness his life could somehow conjure up would always be snuffed out, because if his children were cursed, it was only because he himself was a cursed man to begin with.

Then there was Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson, the true ray of sunlight in his dark life, who had told him again and again that he was not a cursed man, marked for an eternity of damnation and of being a monster.

" _That is what you will become if you truly believe that is who you are_ ," she had once said when they had first met.

Now it was not just Klaus who was feeling the effects of his cursed life, but his mate and love of his life, and even worse, the two children they had brought into this world together.

He often wondered if he could have spared them this miserable existence. He wondered if he could have been strong enough to walk away from Annabelle before they had so quickly fallen in love, before they had accepted the bond that made their souls one, before they had had the twins and before they had gotten married.

But he knew that that would have been truly impossible. Annabelle and Klaus had tried to run away from the path that fate had put them on, but found that they were like two stars in perfect orbit, and they could not escape the pull of the other's gravity for very long.

So now they stood together with their children, facing down the prophecy that had all but placed a target on themselves and their family once more.

Annabelle had been the one to take action first, like she always seemed to do, by bringing together the wolf packs across the country, even across the globe, in order to prepare for the biggest threat that they had ever faced.

So Klaus took up arms by proving himself a changed man to the vampires that had feared him for centuries.

Together, slowly, they brought the two races together, creating peace and union between the groups that had been enemies for as long as Klaus could remember.

Even now, his mate had been away for nearly three weeks, her precise location unknown as she recruited a particularly old werewolf pack that resided somewhere in the northern tundra of Canada with her brother, Hayley, and Bennett.

Klaus had stayed behind in New Orleans, sending out small parties of vampires to send messages across the country to bring more vampires together in Louisiana and Virginia.

Annabelle had been the one to write the messages, sending messages of peace and offers of allegiance, asking for help in order to protect the vampires and wolves from a threat bigger than the prophecy- the witches who had begun gathering in numbers as well, somewhere in the east.

Klaus knew that there was no avoiding the fight that was going to occur between the witches and the united vampires and wolves. He also knew there was no stopping the death that would come.

The only thing he prayed that they could stop was the prophecy from ever occurring, for his children to grow up like they were truly meant to, not as cursed monsters like their father before them.

Ooo0ooO

There was always a moment that Klaus could feel the presence of his mate before he saw her, a kind of tingling awareness at the base of his neck before he felt her warmth and love envelope him gentle, starting from the soul mark and creeping its way into his heart.

This moment was no different.

Klaus stood in the Mystic Falls manor by the window overlooking the forests surrounding the land, holding his daughter in his arms while his son rested quietly in the crib behind him.

His daughter, who was now a little over a year old, chewed on her fist before turning her wide eyes on him. "Mama?" she asked.

Klaus kissed her cheek softly, smiling when she giggled. "Yes, she's almost here, my little girl."

That was enough to wake up Mason, who pulled himself onto his feet and bounced. "Mama!"

A sudden, nearly sharp, rush of emotion flooded Klaus's being, a strong and pure feeling of love that nearly rocked him where he stood. And when he looked out the window again, he saw her standing at the steps to the mansion, looking up at him as well.

Her eyes shone a bright, metallic color, somewhere between gold and silver. Her hair was tangled and fell in snarls down her shoulders, longer than it had been when she had left. Dirt streaked her cheeks and bare arms.

Klaus felt his chest tightened before he opened up his innermost thoughts to her. _Hello, my love._

Annabelle's pink lips curved into a bow as she smiled. _My Klaus_ , she thought with such feeling, he could almost feel her touch from where he stood.

 _Hope and Mason are fine,_ he reassured her when he saw her gaze shift to their daughter. _Come upstairs._

Her hesitance became more pronounced as a small pack of wolves emerged from the woods, looking around and snarling amongst themselves.

Klaus stiffened only a little, sensing Anna's apprehension and the buried hope there that came with the importance of this moment. So he gave her a slight nod and gently lifted his son into his arms.

"Let's go see Mama and her guests," he told them both.

"Mama!" Mason called out again, waving his fists.

When they walked outside, the wolves had not shifted back into their human forms. Each of their gold eyes turned to Klaus as he walked down the stairs to where his mate stood.

Annabelle met Klaus's gaze and he could sense that she was resisting the urge to dart forward, to embrace him and their children. She stood silently, conveying her emotion through her bright gaze and through the soul bond.

"Mama!" Mason cried out again, more loudly when he saw his mother.

Anna's eyes flashed gold now, and she moved forward to take Mason from Klaus before sighing deeply against her son's soft, curly hair. "Hello, my darling," she said to him and her daughter, who watched the surrounding visitors with wide eyes.

"Woofs," Hope said softly, her eyes wider now.

Annabelle smiled, leaning her forehead against her daughter's for a brief moment. "Yes, Hope, they are wolves, just like Patrick and his pack." She turned, meeting Klaus's gaze once more, before facing their guests.

"Friends, welcome to Mystic Falls," she began in a smooth, cultured tone. "This is my mate, Niklaus Mikaelson, and these are our children, Hope and Mason Davis-Mikaelson." She looked at her son with a small smile. "Say hello, Mason."

Mason eyed the wolves before waving his fist at them.

The biggest wolf, which was as white as snow, stepped forward first. Klaus recognized by the way it moved, and how the others moved around it, that this was the pack Alpha.

The wolf shifted, changing into a tall, older man with white hair and a white beard, and eyes cold and blue-gray. He ran his eyes over the twins first, before meeting Klaus's gaze.

"Niklaus Mikaelson," he said in a deep, gravelly tone that echoed the power every Alpha possessed. "The vampire- werewolf Hybrid. Your name is well known."

"I felt it once to make it well known," Klaus returned evenly.

"And now you claim yourself a changed man, a mate and father, someone who wishes to bring together the vampires and the wolves rather than end them both for your own gain."

"Yes," Klaus said firmly.

The Alpha's gaze flickered before turning to Annabelle. "And you, Annabelle Davis, are nearly as well-known as your mate. The last of the Davis bloodline with your brother, Charles. The bloodline which we all come from, the oldest and noblest of blood."

Annabelle lifted her chin. "Yes."

"And now your children bear both the Mikaelson and Davis name," he continued. "The coming together of vampire blood and wolf blood, all twined together by the magic of a soul bond once set forth by the Original Witch. They are the true Hybrids- of wolf and of vampire, and finally of witch."

Suddenly, the rest of the pack shifted back into their human forms. Klaus wondered how they were able to shift without the moon, like how he and Anna could shift.

The older Alpha seemed to hear Klaus's thoughts.

"My name is William Phillip Davis," he stated. "It is due time that you and I meet, is it not?"

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle stood quiet and still as shock and disbelief flashed across her mate's face before his expression smoothed out.

"You are Annabelle's grandfather," Klaus said calmly. "I have heard much about you."

"And I you," William returned.

Annabelle now moved closer to her mate, looking towards the grandfather she had not seen since she was younger, before she had lost her parents. Her gray eyes met the faded ones of her grandfather.

"Come meet your great-grandchildren," she said softly.

William's expression gave away to something softer underneath the stern look he always seemed to have when he finally looked at Hope and Mason.

Hope curled up against her father's side, her wide eyes narrowing as the older Alpha stepped closer.

"Hope Rebekah," William murmured. "And Mason Henrik."

To Anna's surprise, it was Mason who leaned forward first, reaching out his arms to his great-grandfather. "Up, up!" he insisted.

William took the tiny Hybrid from his granddaughter gently. He stayed perfectly still as Mason pressed a chubby hand against William's bearded cheek. The older Alpha stilled when Mason's eyes flashed gold, and when black veins creeped out from underneath them for only a moment, before Mason blinked and his eyes were a bright gray-blue once more. He gave William a gummy smile.

Annabelle relaxed when William's lips curved upwards in response. When he passed Mason back to her, he met his great-granddaughter's suspicious gaze.

"She looks like you, Niklaus," William remarked, noting the dark shade of blue Hope's eyes were.

Hope stared at William when he finally took her into his arms. Her eyes didn't change like her brother's had, rather she watched him, staring right into his eyes boldly.

Annabelle's eyebrows flew up when Williams gave a soft chuckle. After weeks of being around the older man, she had never once heard him laugh, not even before when she was younger.

"She is strong," William said. "She reminds me of your mother, Annabelle. Unafraid of almost everything."

Annabelle's chest constricted at the mention of her mother. She felt Klaus's reassurance through the bond, but it only soothed her a little.

"Would you all like to come inside?" Annabelle offered, recovering.

William's Beta stepped forward, an older woman with long, dark gray hair tied into a long braid that reached her lower back. Her shrewd, ebony eyes were a few shades darker than her skin, and she watched Klaus carefully. Her name was Catherine. "How do we know we can trust him?" she asked, turning towards William.

William faced his pack briefly. "For those who wish to stay in the woods, you may. For those who believe in what Annabelle has told us in her time with us, come with me."

Annabelle was nearly toppled over by the rush of relief she felt. By William showing his trust in her, and in turn Klaus, that meant that the oldest werewolf pack known was on their side.

Catherine looked at Annabelle, then to Mason. The Beta heaved a sigh before following her Alpha inside the mansion slowly.

Annabelle allowed the others to enter before she casted a final look out towards the forest, holding Mason close.

"Woofs?" Mason asked her, looking as well.

Annabelle smiled a little. "No, baby. All the wolves are inside now."

With that, she shut the door behind her with a soft click.

Ooo0ooO

Deep in the forests of Mystic Falls, a single woman with dark, tangled hair sat in the middle of an opening. Her eyes were rolled back, showing only the whites, and she chanted rapidly in an ancient language that not many witches spoke anymore.

Then she gasped, her eyes rolling back, revealing their dark irises. The black veins that had creeped up her skin faded away as the dark magic melted from her body, staining and killing the grass and trees closest to her.

"Is it time?" an impatient, two-toned voice asked from the trees, where a slender, red haired warlock sat in the crook of the branches.

"Yes, Ezra," said the dark-haired witch. "Yes."

" _Finally_ ," the one once named Ezra sighed, jumping down. When they came into the light, their eyes shown a deep, fathomless black, with no whites or irises. "And what did I say about calling me that? Ezra is no longer here, dear Sophie."

Sophie Devereux lowered her gaze. "My apologies," she said hastily. "Abaddon."

The demon's lips turned up into a cruel, cold smile. "We have work to do, dear Sophie."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: The idea of bringing in a warlock possessed by the demon Abaddon is a nod to the show Supernatural.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Enter the Cage

Chapter Two: Enter the Cage

" _Silently pacing, all fear erased here, it's time to face it, cold sweats profusely, crowd chanting loudly, one goal pursuing, one thought consuming._

 _Now you're stepping inside where you can't be afraid_

 _No excuse will suffice, deadly, quick and precise, trained for this moment, no one else could can own it, keep all eyes on me, one goal pursuing, one thought consuming_

 _Now you're stepping inside where you can't be afraid, it's a matter of pride when you enter the cage_ …"

-Adema

Ooo0ooO

Having three Alphas together in one place left the air with a metallic tingle, speaking of the power that each individual possessed.

William's pack gathered in the parlor, taking a spot in a chair or on one of the couches. They all studied the room with interest, taking in every detail, every scent.

Annabelle offered all of them beverages or something to eat, and was politely declined by all of them. So she fixed the twins a bottle and fed them while sitting across from her grandfather in one of the parlor chairs.

William looked around as well, and accepted the glass of aged whiskey that Klaus offered him. His cool gaze then turned to the painting that was over the fireplace, one that had not been painted by Klaus, but rather by Davina.

It was the painting that depicted the fire and destruction that had occurred in New Orleans when Annabelle had been possessed by Sophie and had control over the wolves, all while heavy with child. The dark shadows and glowing eyes still made Annabelle tremble slightly as she remembered those awful moments.

"I hear you paint as well, Niklaus," William stated. "Annabelle told me you have many talents."

Klaus smiled slightly, before gesturing to a painting that was above the piano in the corner of the room. It was one of the first paintings he had done of Annabelle, who was sitting at that very piano, her slim fingers resting against the ivory keys and her gray eyes warm.

"I have a wonderful subject," Klaus stated before moving to Annabelle's side.

"And have you done any paintings of the children?" William wanted to know.

"I'm working on a few," Klaus replied.

"I would like to see them with they are finished. It would be nice to have something in my own home to remind me of the family I still have."

Klaus nodded. "Of course."

Annabelle shifted in her seat, clearing her throat. Despite holding a twin in one arm, and a bottle in the other hand, she looked commanding. "I appreciate that you came here, Grandfather," she told the older Alpha. "It means a great deal to have your support."

"Where else would I place it?" William asked in a mild tone, even though his eyes were gentle. "You are of my blood."

"Regardless, the risk that you and your pack are taking for me, for us-,"

"Annabelle," William interrupted, leaning forward in his seat. "If you had not come to find me, I would have left to find you. Despite my being a recluse, I have had many wolves keep an eye on you over the years. I never truly left you or your brother alone."

Annabelle's eyes suddenly darkened to a sharp, flinty color. "If you were watching us, then why did it take so long for my brother to be found when he was taken by that other pack?"

William's expression tightened briefly. "I regret not being able to help your brother sooner."

Klaus reached out and covered Annabelle's arm with his hand, giving her a gentle look. _Anna_ , he whispered to her.

Annabelle sighed, as though releasing the last of her anger when it came to that memory. "I know," she said. Her eyes met her grandfather's. "But when you say you've watched over me…"

"Eve was my mate's sister," William stated. "When her son told her that he ran into a skinny, female werewolf with gray eyes near Virginia, I knew it was you when I heard myself. And when I heard why you were going the way you were, I had him watch you from a distance."

Annabelle's thoughts flashed to each encounter she had had with Patrick. He always seemed to show up when she needed help, especially in New Orleans. She thought of the night he had saved her and Hayley from the witches after she had seen the witch doctor. She rubbed her shoulder, where an arrow had once embedded itself in her skin. She could still remember the sound of Patrick ripping apart those people with a single minded rage that didn't seem to fit his easy-going demeanor.

"I didn't realize…" She trailed off. "Patrick and Eve, they never said…"

"I asked them not to," William told her. "Eve and I have not seen each other for many years."

Annabelle could understand why. Her grandfather's mate, a woman named Amelia, had died many years ago like her parent's had, because of a vampire attack. That had been why her grandfather had disappeared into the deep northern woods, never to be seen again until now.

"Thank you," Annabelle said. "For protecting me in every way you could."

William inclined his head slightly, now looking at Hope, who rested drowsily in her mother's arms after finishing her lunch. Mason was crawling along the floor, talking to himself in words that only he could understand.

Suddenly, the front door opened sharply, bringing in the familiar scent of Annabelle's brother and his fiancée, Meredith.

Annabelle quickly handed Hope to Klaus, before standing to go greet them both. Charlie stood at the entryway, still as a statue. His eyes took on that metallic color, signaling that his wolf sensed the other Alpha in the other room.

"Anna-?" he stammered.

"Come on," Anna said, giving him a reassuring look.

William was standing when they walked back into the room. The two men eyed each other, one calmly, the other with disbelief.

"Charles," William started. "You look well."

That broke Charlie out of his reverie. "You look _well?_ " Charlie bit out, anger coloring his tone. "That's what you have to say to me? After you left me and my sister all alone after we lost our parents? _You look well?_ "

"Charlie-," Anna began, a warning flashing in her eyes, but Charlie stepped closer to their grandfather.

"Where the hell have you _been?_ Hiding out until you were summoned? Where were you when we needed you?"

Klaus, who was taken aback by Charlie's sudden aggressiveness, looked over at his mate. _I thought he went with you to find William?_

Annabelle sighed inwardly. _I sent him off with Hayley to find another back in Maine, who were reporting news of witch sightings. I'm sorry, I thought I told you. I also think Charlie wasn't expecting us to actually find him…_

Klaus winced, now understanding why Charlie was acting like he did.

Now it was Meredith who was reaching out for Charlie, ignoring his bright-colored eyes and challenging stance. When she touched his arm, William all but flinched. His gray eyes were locked on the ring that sat on her left hand, gleaming in the sunlight.

Annabelle saw hurt and pain flash in the older werewolf's eyes, since that ring had belonged to his daughter, their mother, and before that, it had belonged to Amelia, who had given it to Annabelle's mother before she had died. The ring changed hands very quickly though, for Annabelle's parents death had followed Amelia's death within a month.

William didn't move, but his eyes were flashing between gray-blue and gold as he seemed to battle with himself.

"Meredith," Anna said softly, stepping in between the couple and her grandfather. "This is my grandfather, William. Grandpa, this is Meredith Fell, Charlie's fiancée."

"Fiancée," William repeated. "She's…"

"Human, yes," Annabelle said in a mild tone that echoed her grandfather's. "And she's the one who helped with the birth of your great-grandchildren. She knows about all of this, all of us. Meredith has helped us a great deal."

Meredith, now meeting William's gaze, smiled tentatively. "Hello."

William's expression twisted, and suddenly Annabelle gave a low, rumbling growl, her eyes a flat gold color. His eyes widened, since she had not stood up against him ever. But now she stood facing him, her wolfish eyes flashing a warning that was now directed at him, and the blackish veins crept slowly down from her eyes, darkening her skin.

And being as old as he was, and as strong as he was, William felt the greater power that his granddaughter possessed, which seemed to pulse in the air, until he had a metallic taste on his tongue.

William forced himself to relax, to regain his composure. He met Meredith's gaze now more calmly. "It's a pleasure to meet the woman who has helped my grandchildren so much."

Meredith gave him a warm smile. "Annabelle is like my sister, I'd do anything for her or for Charlie." For emphasis, she wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist, which seemed to help dispel the last of the tension in the air.

Suddenly, William felt a sharp tug on his pant leg and looked down to see Mason pulling himself up, looking up at his great-grandfather impatiently. "Up!" the small Hybrid insisted.

William's entire body relaxed as he smiled, scooping up Mason into his arms.

Mason, now smiling, tugged the older Alpha's beard.

Annabelle stepped closer, running a hand over her son's soft hair. "What will they call you?"

William blinked, as though that thought never occurred to him. "You always called me 'Grandpa'… 'Great-grandpa' seems like a mouthful."

Annabelle smiled. Since Mason and Hope did not have their grandparents, it only seemed fitting. "Mason, can you say 'Grandpa'?" she asked him.

Mason blinked owlishly at his mother. "Mama?"

"Grandpa," she enunciated.

Mason tried again. "Papa?"

Since Klaus was "Dada", Annabelle nodded. "Papa it is."

"Papa," William repeated in a soft, rumbling tone, and looked pleased.

Ooo0ooO

Later that evening, Klaus and Annabelle sat together on the balcony outside their room. She was curled over his lap and his hand rubbed her lower back as her rested her cheek on his shoulder.

The twins were resting and Charlie and Meredith had left to go back to their own apartment. William and his pack had dispersed into the woods, saying that they would be close in case they were needed, but none of them wanted to overstay their welcome at the "Hybrid mansion", as Anna and Klaus's home was dubbed.

That had made Klaus frown with displeasure, but it was quickly forgotten when Anna had pointed out that that was what they were and who they were, there was no changing that.

So they sat in comfortable silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

When Klaus dipped into Annabelle's mind, he was met with the images of her trek across the tundra to find the pack. The area there was marked with ice-covered trees and carved with deep rivers, along with the smell of caribou and wolf, followed by the more familiar scent of werewolf.

 _I can't believe I found him_ , Annabelle confessed, feeling his presence in her memories.

 _Why's that, my love?_

 _Because it's been years since I've seen or hear from him. All we had left were his journals… I thought there was a good chance he might have passed away, or moved somewhere else…_

 _And did your brother find the pack he was looking for?_

Annabelle nodded. _They won't come here, not yet. They agreed it would be best for them to continue to investigate these sightings and to report back to either myself or Charlie._

Klaus nodded as well, in agreement. He ran his fingertips through the ends of Anna's hair.

 _Now we have most of the werewolf packs in America on our side. We have the larger Italian packs on our disposal, thanks to Antonio and Bennett, and the vampires have been agreeable thanks to Marcel and you…_ Annabelle's thoughts trailed off briefly.

Klaus could feel her apprehension. _We will win,_ he told her with conviction. _We always find a way._

Annabelle looked into his eyes. "I just can't help but wondering at what cost though."

"Everyone is aware of the risk…"

"Being aware and experiencing the inevitable loss are very different."

Klaus knew she was right. "If there was any other way-,"

"We would find it. But-,"

"There isn't," Klaus finished. "Not this time."

"No running," Anna murmured.

"No hiding," Klaus agreed.

And they slipped back into silence, looking out towards the woods and the horizon, uncertain of what tomorrow would bring.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	4. War of Hearts

Chapter Three: War of Hearts

" _Come to me_

 _In the night hours_

 _'Cause thoughts devour_

 _Thoughts of you consume_

 _I can't help but be wrong in the dark_

 _'Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts_

 _Stay with me a little longer…"_

-Ruelle

Ooo0ooO

She knew she couldn't hide it much longer. The dreams were coming more frequently and more vividly each night, leaving her with her heart pounding and her gasping for breath.

The dreams had started again after the twins had been born. But she had dismissed them, blaming them on the prophecy that nailed down her children as murderers before they even opened their eyes for the first time. But as the weeks wore on, it became harder for Anna to lie to herself, to say that it was nothing, that they meant nothing.

But it always started out the same, just a normal day…

Ooo0ooO

 _The early morning sun was filtering in through the window as Anna walked into the room where she found Klaus sitting on the ground beside the fireplace, plucking absently at the strings of the guitar Charlie had given him as a wedding present._

 _"Klaus?" Anna asked softly as she moved to sit across from him. She folded her legs underneath her, studying her husband's quiet, thoughtful expression._

 _"Hello, love," he said softly, smiling. "Are the twins up?"_

 _"No," Anna said. "Not yet. Why aren't you in bed?"_

 _"I want to sing you a song," he told her, ignoring the question._

 _She blinked and smiled slightly. "All right."_

 _"Are you familiar with the Who?"_

 _Anna raised her brows. "Yes. You are?" Klaus gave her a look and Anna grinned sheepishly. "Right, I forgot that being a thousand years old means you're familiar with every band in existence."_

 _He smirked before he started playing the guitar. Anna watched how his fingers pressed down on the strings and how the others glided over them, and she fell under the spell._

 _"No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes…"_

 _Anna watched, recognizing the song, as he played the softer version rather than the melodious, fast beat way the band performed it._

 _As he stroked the strings, he smiled at her, his eyes gleaming. His blue, blue eyes._ _  
"If I swallow anything evil  
Put your finger down my throat  
If I shiver, please give me a blanket  
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat,_

 _No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes."_

 _When the song came to an end, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Anna's firmly. She smiled and leaned into the kiss, pressing just as firmly back. When she pulled back, she rested her hand over his. "Can I sing for you too?"_

 _He nodded and she stood up, motioning him to follow her back into the other room where the piano was. She sat down on the bench and he sprawled on the leather chair by the window, where he sat in a ray of sunshine. She smiled again at the sight of the sun bringing out the gold in his hair, the blue in his eyes._

 _Then she cleared my throat before she started playing, her fingers skipping deftly over the ivory keys with ease._

 _"The night is slowly closing_

 _But my eyes are slowly opened_

 _And I see that somewhere in you_

 _There is a good heart, there is a good soul._

 _For everyone lost in the silence,_

 _For every one missing piece,_

 _For every will that is broken,_

 _No matter how dark it may be,_

 _There is redemption._

 _For everyone lost in the silence,_

 _There is redemption."_

 _And when she turned to face him again, she found herself in the woods, surrounded by familiar trees and by familiar scents. She knew if she walked through the clearing in front of her, she would be right by the river._

 _So she moved forward, her bare feet whispering soundlessly over the grass and the leaves._

 _When she emerged from under the shadows of the trees, she saw that she wasn't alone. A tall, lithe woman stood with her back to Anna, her long hair pulled into a loose ponytail._

 _"Hello?" Anna asked, stepping forward. And when the woman turned, she gasped._

 _Even though she was much older, there was no denying who she was by the gleam in her midnight blue eyes and the way her hair spilled in warm brown curls over her shoulders._

 _Anna's throat constricted. "Hope."_

 _The young Hybrid smiled, a slow curve of the lips with the barest flash of fang. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, with a youthful smattering of freckles over her nose and cheeks, like Anna had gotten whenever she spent enough time in the sun. "Hi, Mom," Hope said._

 _Suddenly, there was a flash of movement that had Anna turning. Once more, the air backed up in her lungs._

 _Cradled in between two large branches lounged another young Hybrid, with dark blonde hair and steely gray eyes. And like his mother, he gave her a timid, almost shy smile._

 _"Mason," Anna breathed out._

 _Then they were right in front of her, standing close to one another. They both had her curls and her freckles, but she could see their father in the shape of their cheeks and lips, and by how they carried themselves._

 _But it was Hope who stood out, who stood a step in front of her brother, who met her mother's gaze boldly as her eyes flashed from deep blue to bright gold. She was a leader, much like her father. Born first, she was the one who took charge while her brother faithfully followed her wherever she went._

 _"Are you scared of us, Mom?" Hope asked in a light, almost playful tone that didn't match the predatory gleam in her golden eyes._

 _"Scared of you?" Anna repeated with disbelief. "You're my children. Why would I be afraid of you?"_

 _"Because," Mason said, his face and shirtfront suddenly dripping with crimson blood, "we're going to kill you."_

 _Anna felt herself stumble back a step. "What?" was all she managed to choke out._

 _Hope tilted her head, examining her with her wolfish gaze. She was also covered in blood. And when she moved forward, she stepped over a pale corpse, unconcerned when her foot kicked the face, causing it to turn to face Anna._

 _Anna stifled back a scream. It was her brother, pale and lifeless, staring at her with dull gray eyes and a ruined throat and torn out chest._

 _Mason glanced down at his uncle and tsked. "Pity," he said in a tone that sent a chill down Anna's spine. "He was funny."_

 _"Mason," Anna beseeched softly before looking at her daughter. "Hope."_

 _Hope bared her sharp teeth in an angry snarl. "Don't patronize me. I know you always loved Mason more than me. I don't remember you ever holding me or singing to me like you did with him. But I forgave him, he is my brother after all. But you, dear mother, you're going to have all your fears realized by your precious little girl."_

 _Suddenly, Anna remembered something. Resisting the urge to scream his name out loud, she screamed for Klaus in her mind._

 _Find me! she urged. Find me!_

 _And as though she knew what her mother was doing, Hope shook her head with pity in her eyes. "Don't you remember?" Then she pointed over Anna's shoulder._

 _Anna's instincts were screaming at her not to look, don't look, please don't look but when she did she couldn't hold back the scream bubbling inside her chest._

 _Nailed to a tree by a white oak stake was Klaus, her mate and her husband, nearly burned away by the sun. His eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful, which was a sharp contrast to the burn marks and blood covering his entire body._

 _Then she felt her daughter step close behind her, so her lips were close to her mother's ear. "Long live the king."_

Ooo0ooO

Tears stung her eyes when she opened them. Sniffling quietly, she turned over and saw Klaus staring at her with a deep, expressionless look in his eyes.

Anna reached up to brush the tears away from her eyes and off her cheeks, but his hand was already there, gently stroking her cheeks until they were dry once more.

"You saw," she said softly after a while.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Anna shifted slightly, tucking her arm under her cheek, sighing. "Would you believe me if I told you?"

Klaus was quiet at that. "How long?"

"Since the twins were born," she whispered.

Klaus's eyes flashed. "Anna."

"Klaus, please," she beseeched, closing her eyes briefly. "They're just…" But her voice wobbled and broke, and she stopped to take a breath.

Then she felt his arms around her, pulling her up against chest, until she was pressed against his side and her cheek was against his heart. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she clung onto him, breathing him in and willing away the tears.

"They're just children," she finally choked out, that sentence she had been repeating since she had found out she was carrying them, since they had found out their children were marked as cursed and as killers. She hated that sentence more than anything in the world.

"Oh, my Anna," Klaus sighed deeply against her hair. "I know. I know."

Ooo0ooO

Later that night, Anna found herself sitting in the same trees she had dreamed of her son sitting in, resting against the strong trunk with the cool wind turning the leaves.

She stared out to the river and watched how the moon reflected on the dark water as it rippled against the banks and the rocks. She touched the marks on her arm and the ring on her hand and the necklace around her neck, one by one, gently. She thought about each memory tied to each of them. The day she and Klaus made that promise to each other and how that pure white light had emerged and how it began the bond that would forever bring their souls together. The day she had walked into the mansion and had found Klaus waiting for her, surrounded by thousands of colorful roses before asking her to be his forever. The day, so long ago, when she had pulled this necklace off of Klaus's neck and placed it over hers, and how it stayed there with no argument from the man who had worn it for decades, perhaps centuries.

It had all seemed so much easier then. They had to only fight for each other, for the love they had for each other. Together they had battled against memories of their past and had started a future together.

How much longer would that last? What would they do if those dreams, like so many others they had had, came true? Would the fighting ever stop? Would their lives ever escape an inevitable war when it came to who they were?

"I had so many doubts about tomorrow, I forgot to live for today."

Anna started, looking down. Below the tree branches stood Klaus, looking up at her with dark eyes.

"It's been some time since I found you hiding in the trees, my Anna," he said softly.

Then he was there, right beside her, sitting on the branch like they used to when they had first met and had first started to get to know each other. She looked out to the distance and another memory washed over her, one of white lanterns floating up as her and Klaus sat together in the same tree they were in now, thinking about what was next and what tomorrow had in store for them.

But unlike now, she had felt so much hope then, and now…

"Who said that?" Anna asked, looking at her mate, distracting herself from her thoughts.

"Some poet from hundreds of years ago in some town," Klaus said, with a vague wave of his hand. "But the point is, love, if you keep worrying about tomorrow, you'll forget about today."

Anna looked down at her hands, one bare, and the other decorated with gold and sapphire, and bright, bold gray-blue marks that trailed up her arm. "I just can't stop thinking of these dreams. They haven't been this bad since Silas was here."

"Do you think it's the witches?"

Anna's brow furrowed. "No, I don't think so. It's not that same. It's like everything I have ever feared, everything I have ever had doubts about, are coming to life whenever I close my eyes and it feels _so real_ and I…"

She looked at him in the eyes, her eyes bright with worry. "I can't bear the idea of them even coming a little true."

Klaus's expression gentled. "We have the help of so many people because of you, Annabelle. You have family and friends here that want to help and protect you. You are not alone. Not even when you close your eyes. Because I will always be here, as I promised, and as I will promise again."

He took her hand in his and kissed it gently. "Don't forget that."

Anna nodded, leaning against him.

He kissed her forehead. "Come along, love. You need some rest, and Hope and Mason want to say good night to their momma."

Anna smiled softly. "All right."

They jumped down from the tree together, landing with ease. And suddenly, Anna felt a rush of energy and a bit of her old spirit kick in. She grinned.

"Race you home," she said. Then she was gone, a flash in the darkness.

Klaus chuckled before giving chase.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Why with the dreams, you ask? Stay tuned…**


	5. Don't Let Me Down

Chapter Four: Don't Let Me Down

" _I think I'm losing my mind now_

 _It's in my head, darling I hope_

 _That you'll be here when I need you the most_

 _So don't let me, don't let me, don't let me down..._ "

-Chainsmokers ft. Daya

Ooo0ooO

The sun creeped over the horizon, as though it was hesitant to start the day. The birds had yet to begin singing, and the air was cool and quiet and still.

Somewhere deep in the forest, a lone wolf howled.

Miles away, another wolf answered with a howl of its own.

Any early morning hiker would have chalked it up to some normal wolves, probably on the hunt, or on the move to better hunting grounds. They wouldn't have considered that these wolves were not, in fact, mere wolves.

Lost in the deep woods of Mystic Falls, in his wolf form, Klaus scented the air and growled to himself. His bright gold eyes were full of impatience and aggression.

And even from where she was, at least ten miles to the east, Annabelle felt her mate's emotions roll through her body as though they were her own. Her pointed ears stayed forward as she carefully listened for anything to move in the quiet trees.

But when five more minutes of complete stillness passed, she too growled, although she felt more frustration than anger. She nearly pulled herself into her human form, but froze when a twig snapped.

Out of the trees emerged yet another wolf, a dark sable colored wolf, who was followed by three more. One was chocolate brown, like Anna, and the other two were timber colored.

Recognizing then, Anna did shift, before crossing her arms.

The sable wolf shifted back first. Bennett merely shook his head at the question in her eyes.

Charlie, Hayley, and Patrick followed suit, each of them looking a combination of annoyed and tired. Her brother yanked his matted hair back away from his face.

Anna frowned, noticing the hallows in his cheeks that hadn't been there before. But she knew why they all looked run down and were at their wit's end.

Three weeks ago, they had received word about the witches, after one of their patrols had reported seeing Sophie Devereux and a small band of witches on the border of West Virginia and Virginia. Soon after that, Anna had received a message from the witch, sent via a dream.

It had been terrible. It was a dream that had taken a great deal of Bennett's power to wake her from. Anna had felt like she had been stuck in an endless tunnel, unable to reach the end, moving through what felt like quicksand, all while her family was ruthlessly slaughtered in front of her by the twins, who had laughed the entire time.

That cruel, mocking laughter had rang in Anna's ears even after Bennett had managed to wake her. Klaus had told her she had started screaming, waking up everyone, and when he had tred to touch her, his hand had been brutally burned. He had healed, of course, but the message had been clear.

You can't escape fate.

So the two Hybrids had started a hunting party, each of them driven to find Sophie and the witches quickly to finally end all of this.

But as quickly as they had arrived, the witches soon disappeared without a trace.

"We can't keep going like this, Anna," Charlie said, rubbing a hand over his growing beard.

Hayley leaned against a tree, folding her arms across her chest. Her hazel eyes were lacking their usual sarcastic gleam. She looked at her cousin, waiting for her answer.

Anna exhaled, wishing this living nightmare could end for them all. "I know," she said softly. "Come on. Elijah is waiting for us."

They turned to walk down the path that lead them to the west, heading towards the meeting place where Elijah was waiting for them all. It was a small clearing that housed a run down cottage, which had been overtaken by the trees and plants years back.

The Mikaelson vampire was leaning against the moss covered wall, deep in thought. When he heard them approaching, he straightened, opening his arms for Hayley, who ran into them. He ran a hand over her hair, looking relieved.

He looked at Anna, then frowned at the expression she wore. "How did it go?"

Anna just shook her head, so Hayley answered. "It was a bust. Whatever the witches were doing, they poofed."

"Poofed?" Elijah repeated, giving his wife an amused glance.

Hayley looked up at him under her lashes. "You know. Poof." She made the poof gesture with her hands as if to prove her point.

Patrick sighed sharply. "Hey, you guys can shack up that wedded bliss later, but right now we got more important things to do than flirting."

Hayley shot the other werewolf a glare. "Jealous because Emily won't give you the time of day?" she asked sweetly.

Patrick scowled at the mention of the dark haired vampire's name.

Anna lifted a brow. "The one who sang at my wedding?"

"I think we have more pressing matters than my dating life!" Patrick exclaimed.

Bennett mustered up his patience before interrupting the tangent the group was heading down. "Perhaps Patrick is right. Let's go find Klaus and regroup, all right?"

Anna stilled, closing her eyes briefly. Bennett watched and saw the slightest golden pulse come from her, as though her aura was calling to another. He of course knew what she was doing, calling her mate through their soul bond.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at the others. "He's coming."

Hayley shot her husband a look. "Pity we don't have instant mind messaging."

"I don't know if I could stand the headache," Elijah mused.

Hayley's expression clouded over. "Are you saying that I'm loud?" Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. "I thought you liked me loud."

Charlie, who looked green, coughed loudly. "Okay, I've heard enough for one day. Thanks, Hayley. I'm going to go burn my ears off."

She snickerwd. "Please. Pot, meet kettle. You're just as gross with Meredith."

Before Charlie could reply, a large gray wolf burst into the clearing. It stopped, growling, its gold eyes assessing them all. Hayley quieted down, as did the other werewolves, but Anna walked up to the wolf.

It pulled itself back into its human form. Klaus smiled gently at his mate before pulling her close. "The twins?"

"Safe with your sister, Marcel, and Meredith." Anna leaned against him, sighing. "How did things go on your end?"

Klaus looked annoyed. "No, unfortunately not. I lost the scent trail on the border of West Virginia."

Elijah looked at his brother calmly. "What do we do now?"

Klaus and Anna exchanged a look.

She looked at the rest of them. "We go home. That's all we can do for now."

Hayley straightened. "Better watch our backs too. Who knows when they'll show again."

Anna nodded. "And we have to watch over the twins. I won't have them get hurt because of this damn prophecy."

Patrick looked grim. "I don't think we have to worry about that. We're the ones standing in the way. Odds are we're the ones walking around with targets on our backs."

Klaus nodded. "He's right."

Anna's expression hardened. "Let's go."

Ooo0ooO

When they arrived back at the mansion, Anna and Klaus went to see the twins while the others gathered in the backyard.

Charlie, still in his wolf form, flopped onto the grass by Meredith's feet, sighing. Hayley walked over, stretching out beside him with a long yawn. Bennett shifted back and sat down beside Meredith, both of them exchanging amused glances.

Hayley shifted back when Elijah walked over, and moved her head to his lap when he sat down beside her. Her eyes drooped when he ran his hair through her hair.

Klaus and Anna walked back outside, each with a kid on their hip. Anna took one look at her brother and rolled his eyes before placing Hope down so she could crawl to her still wolfish uncle, whose tail thumped against the grass when he saw her coming. Mason stayed curled up against his father, his owlish gaze turned to look back over Klaus's shoulder.

"Bekah!" he called out. "Bekah!"

Rebekah walked outside with Marcel, smiling beautifully at her nephew who was reaching for her. "Yes, come here, my darling." She took Mason from her brother, kissing his cheek.

Marcel and Klaus both sat down in the lounge chairs.

Anna and Rebekah exchanged a glance, both of them noticing the similar expressions on their faces. "Like sire, like son," Rebekah sighed, shaking her head.

Anna laughed. "They are cute, aren't they, when they're brooding."

Marcel gave Anna a dry look. "Hopefully your jokes will get better in a century from now."

"I'll make sure that you're my guinea pig," Anna mused, moving to sit down on her mate's lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, playing with the ends of his hair.

Marcel shook his head before taking Mason from Rebekah. Mason eyed Marcel, which made Anna's lips twitch. Her son seemed always wary with Marcel, and she wondered if that would always be the case between the odd brothers.

Then the mood turned more serious when Elijah suggested that they discuss strategy. They talked about what they could do if the witches returned, and the measures that needed to be taken to make sure they couldn't get to the twins.

Bennett said he could look up spells that would prevent the witches access into Anna's mind, or any of their minds. He also said he would research warding spells so the mansion would be protected, as well as the surrounding lands.

Patrick wanted to roundtable with the werewolves and vampires again, so that they all understood the threat and to ask for any suggestions on plans that could be made to protect them all. Charlie, back in his human form, volunteered to help, and Marcel did as well.

"I just wish they would strike and we'd get this show on the road," Hayley muttered, her eyes taking on a golden glow. Elijah rubbed a hand over her back soothingly.

"I agree," Klaus said darkly.

"What are we going to do if they don't strike anytime soon? Sit around and wait? And this prophecy- how can it come true when the twins are just infants? For all we know this might not go down for centuries!" Patrick pointed out, looking edgy.

"Then we wait and we prepare," Bennett said on a deep sigh. "That's all we can do."

"And we will keep passing along what we know to others. The more allies we have mean there's less for our enemy," Elijah said.

Ooo0ooO

Later that night, Bennett performed his spell for Anna, casting out so her mind would be guarded against the witches.

She laid quietly like he had asked. "This wouldn't hurt the soul bond, will it?" she asked.

Bennett chuckled. "No, I do not believe any kind of magic would break that kind of Bond. Not even the witch's."

Anna found a small amount of comfort in that. "Why? How does that work?"

Bennett thought about it, murmuring some words before tracing a symbol on Anna's forehead in white powder. "I suppose it is close to impossible to break something like a soul. The soul bond that you and Klaus have, it isn't just a mere bond. Your souls are no longer two but one. Breaking them apart..." He shook his head. "That is why you share your thoughts and inner most feelings with him. You two, in many ways, are one."

Anna mulled that over, allowing his calm chants to soothe her. She imagined a brick wall between her and whoever tried to enter her mind. No one could enter, because not only was she guarding herself from the witches, but she was also guarding Klaus.

Bennett stepped back after some time, smiling down at her. "It's done."

Anna sat up and wiped the powder from her forehead. She smiled at the other Hybrid. "Thank you."

Bennett nodded and walked from the room, and Anna saw Klaus standing at the doorway. She smiled at him too.

Klaus walked over to her and sat down beside her, taking one of her hands in his. He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "It will be all right, love."

Anna looked at him. "What if Patrick's right? What if it takes years for the prophecy to come to pass?"

"Well, we aren't getting any older."

"I'm serious, Klaus. I don't know if I can keep living like this. One day we are all fine and dandy, hanging out in the backyard, and the next we are all running around chasing our tails. It's hell, Klaus. A living hell."

"I know," he said in a gentler tone. He kissed the back of her hand, rubbing her hand, tracing her soul mark. "Perhaps this can all be prevented before it does come to pass."

Anna leaned against Klaus. "I hope so," she said softly.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	6. Through the Dark

Chapter Five: Through the Dark

"S _omeone reaching for me now_

 _Through the dark, reaching for me now_

 _You need someone to hear you when you sigh_

 _Someone to wipe away those tears you cry_

 _Someone to hold you 'neath the darkened sky,_

 _I love you girl, I love you more than I can say..."_

-Alexi Murdoch

Ooo0ooO

On the night of the full moon, the largest gathering of wolves Mystic Falls had ever seen stood in front of the Mikaelson mansion. Hundreds stood side by side, their golden eyes gleaming like thousands of golden coins.

At the top of a small foothill, stood the Alphas, looking down at the rest of them. Amongst them was William, a pure white wolf, Annabelle, the slender brown wolf, and Klaus, the large gray wolf. Even though Klaus was much older than the white Alpha, experience and wisdom gave way from power.

Annabelle's ears twitched when she heard the sharp cry of her son, who was at the base of the hill in his aunt's arms. Meredith stood next to Rebekah, holding onto Hope.

When she looked hard enough, Anna could see that most of the shadows lingering in the forests were not shadows at all, but were the vampires, gathered together like the wolves before her. This was the first time all of their forces were together, joined as one with a common enemy.

Then she looked at her mate, who was seated on the other side of William, his eyes calm. _Tell me what you're thinking_ , she asked, speaking through their soul bond.

He looked at me, his eyes shining with the reflection of the moon in their depths. _Look at what you've accomplished, love. Never before have vampires and werewolves came together like they are now. It's all thanks to you._

 _It's thanks to a prophecy_ , Anna thought, her lips peeling back briefly to reveal her sharp teeth.

But before Klaus could answer, William stood.

With the spell that Bennett had casted over them all, William began to speak without moving his mouth. It was like how Anna and Klaus could speak to each other, through their minds, but this time it spanned to every wolf, every vampire, and even to Meredith, who stood alone as the only human there.

 _Many of you are here because you have heard of the witch's prophecy. A prophecy which states that the two Hybrids children you see before you as the end to the vampire race. Passed down by the Original Witch, it bears a mark on them both, marking them forever as will be murderers. We shall not let this come to pass._

 _Beside me stand their parents, the once feared Hybrid, Niklaus Mikaelson, and his mate, Annabelle Davis, who, along with her brother, are the last of the Davis bloodline, the blood of the Original Werewolf, William Davis. They stand before you not only as powerful Hybrids, both vampire and werewolf brought together by witch's magicks, but as the parents to those children. They were the ones who called you here, and you heard their cry. You heard the story of how they met, how they conceived these children, and how they have accomplished in brokering a truce between the vampire's and werewolves like none have done before._

 _All of us stand here because we will not allow a prophecy to dictate how our lives will unfold. The witches have no place pointing a finger to two children and calling them killers. They only wish to strike fear In our hearts, to drive us apart, so we will call ourselves enemies while the true enemy is out there, taunting us all._

He looked to Annabelle now, and stepped aside as she moved forward. Even though she was the smallest out of the three Alphas, she bore herself in a way that made it clear that she was the one that held the power. It was she that they would follow.

Her eyes met many others as she scanned the crowd. Many of the faces, even shifted, we're familiar. She could see Antonio, the only other white wolf, and Bennett and Hayley, and PATRICK and Eve, along with their pack.

 _I know many of you have doubts. Many of you are questioning why we should form this alliance over something as simple as a prophecy. It is not simple. Nothing about this will ever be simple. This prophecy not only predicts the end to a race, but also leaves a threat towards the other supernatural creatures, like the werewolves, and even the witches that are innocent._

Her eyes gleamed as the moon rose to its peak in the sky.

 _I come before you not only as a werewolf turned Hybrid, but as a mother. No mother would ever stand aside to watch their children become what the witches believe my children will become. My children are not monsters, they're only children. The first of their kind. They aren't the end, they are the beginning of the alliance between the wolves and the vampires. They are the ones with the potential to bring peace, not death._

A tall, red colored wolf stepped forward, lowering it's head in respect. _But how can you know that? The witches are the ones who can tell the future, not you. What if you're wrong?_

A vampire came forward as well. "I don't want to take that risk. If these kids even pose a threat to my kind, then-,"

She was interrupted by Klaus's vicious snarling. His ears were pinned to his head as he snarled, baring his fangs to the root.

 _I would hope you're not foolish enough to finish that sentence,_ he growled, his fur rising along his back.

 _Enough!_ Annabelle snapped, snarling at Klaus, then turning her gaze towards the other wolf and vampire.

 _How will fighting the witches stop the prophecy? Killing them won't stop it if it's meant to come to pass!_ the red wolf argued, cowering away from Klaus's gaze.

 _The witches took control of my mind once. They warped it into something deadly, and used me to their advantage. It almost worked. The only thing that prevented me from losing myself was my soul bond. My children do not have such a bond. They are vulnerable. I cannot allow the witches to do what they did to me. They will whisper lies into their ears and they will bring out the worse sides of them. They will have no free will, no thoughts of their own. They will become weapons. If you don't want that to come to pass, then we must stop the problem at its root. That way my children will have a chance of a future where they can choose to be good, to do good._

"Or they can choose to be killers. Being one does run in the family," another vampire called out.

Annabelle looked to the vampire who had spoken. _And which of you can say with confidence that your own hands are clean?_

Ooo0ooO

The gathering lasted until dawn. The wolves shifted back once the moon's control lessened, and the vampires disappeared before the sun reached the horizon.

The only ones left in the end were the Mikalesons, William, Charlie, Meredith, Hayley, Marcel, Bennett, Antonio, and the twins.

Annabelle turned when she heard others approaching and was shocked to see the group before her. The Salvatore brothers stood with Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, and April.

April smiled at Anna. They hadn't seen each other since the wedding.

Annabelle dashed to her, pulling her old friend in close.

April's bright blue eyes sparkled. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Anna said, smiling.

Damon lifted a brow. "Did you miss me too?"

Anna's smile gave way to a skeptical look. "Not hardly."

Caroline grinned. She and Klaus exchanged a look, a nod, before the younger vampire stepped towards Anna. She clasped Anna's hands with her own. "We wanted to show our support. We all might not be friends, not we aren't enemies. And these witches, I know they're wrong about the twins, Anna."

Anna smiled again briefly. "Thank you."

Bonnie approached her next. "Whatever you need, let me know." She then looked athrough Bennett. "Let's see what we can do together."

Bennett smiled slowly, his dark eyes gleaming. "Indeed."

Elena looked at Anna. They merely shared an understanding look, as Anna did with Stefan, who watched her calmly.

The group walked back towards the mansion, moving to all sit in the backyard. The twins were placed on the grass so they could crawl and attempt to walk, and they all sat in a loose circle around them.

Hope went to Damon first, crawling right into his lap and putting her face in his.

The blue eyed vampire looked warily, his brows furrowned. "Hey."

Hope suddenly broke into a gummy smile. "Vamp-er."

When Damon looked at Anna with confusion, she reiterated. "Vampire. Wolves are woofs."

"What do they call Hybrids?" Stefan wanted to know when Mason crawled up to him curiously.

"They don't have a word for that. It's one of the few words they don't attempt to say," she said with a shrug.

Damon passed Hope along until she ended up in William's lap, where she sat content lyrics, chewing on his fingers.

April picked up Mason when he crawled across the circle to her. She giggled when he squealed and smiled at her. He tugged at her hair and the vervain bracelet she still wore. Eventually, Mason was passed back to his mom.

Anna looked at the others. "Thank you for coming today," she told them. "It means a lot."

Caroline smiled, while the others nodded. "You were right, Anna. Your kids won't be the end of all vampires. They're the beginning of something new."

"Something better," Stefan agreed.

April took one of Anna's hands, giving it a squeeze. "Where do we start?"

Ooo0ooO

Later, after plans were made and goodbyes were said, Klaus and Anna went off into the forests, melting into their wolf forms, then into the shadows.

The sun sat low in the sky as they walked side by side, the brown and gray wolves, blending into the trees and the shade.

They shifted back once they reached their spot at the river. Anna shook the leaves from her hair, which curled and fell past her shoulders. Her skin was dappled with bits of sunlight that was coming through the branches.

Klaus's hair turned gold in the fading light, giving his eyes a dark glow. It made Anna think of old paintings of princes and knights. It wasn't hard to picture Klaus in one of them, slumped in his throne, his hair shining gold and his eyes passing judgement on those before him.

But for Klaus, looking at Anna now made him think of magic in its many forms. Her eyes were gray like the winter sky, and her skin was painted with the bold colors of the soul mark, not blue nor gray, but both. Her hair was touched with sunlight, and the elegant set to her shoulders made him think of fairies and queens, how they can look both delicate and strong.

They sat together on the river banks, passing the time in silence. Anna leaned against Klaus's side, and he kissed her bare shoulder, playing with the ends of her hair.

Then she looked at him, silver eyes meeting blue, and their lips met. Like many times before, the spark between them crackled and sprung to life, until his desire was hers, and her desire was his. There was no need for words, because they spoke with their hands and with breathless gasps.

Anna's hair tangled with the grass when she laid back, welcoming Klaus into her arms and into her body, like she always did. She breathed heavily against his ear, whispering her need, which he gave her.

Klaus traced Annabelle like an artist traces a painting, with long, slow strokes, and attention to detail. He wanted to kiss the birthmark on her knee, so he did. He touched and ran his hand along the curve of her spine, and felt her shiver. He kissed her deeply and moved inside her, so deep he wondered if they would ever part.

Her pink lips parted and she called out for him to join her whenshe found her release, and as they sun sank below the horizon, he followed her over the edge.

Some time passed before either of them moved. They laid tangled together, grass staining their bare skin, both of them gazing up at the darkening sky, lost in each other's thoughts.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	7. Faded

Chapter Six: Faded

" _You were the shadow to my light_

 _Did you feel us?_

 _Where are you now?_

 _Another dream_

 _The monster's running wild inside of me_

 _I'm faded…"_

-Alan Walker

Ooo0ooO

Ever since Sophie Devereux first laid eyes on Annabelle Davis, she knew that she had looked into the eyes of the person who would either bring her death or her salvation. Or at least, that was what was foretold.

Weeks before Hayley and Anna were lured down into New Orleans, weeks before any plans had been set into motion, Sophie had had a dream.

She dreamt of a woman with both silver and gold eyes, a woman who was of old blood, a woman turned Hybrid by the monster whose name was most feared in the world. She saw the fire and the death long before it occurred, she saw the war happening before sides were drawn, and she saw a choice, a choice that she would have to make that would either lead to her death or would change her life forever.

So when the witches lost in initial battle against Annabelle and the werewolves in New Orleans, she thought that making the choice to sell her soul was the choice that had been foretold.

She had been wrong. This choice had only been one of the many made between then and now. It had been too late for her to change her mind, too late for her to get her soul back and for the demon she had summoned to return to whatever part of hell it had risen from.

Now it walked alongside with her, taking over the body of a young warlock that Sophie had used as a sacrifice so the demon could inhabit a body. The warlock had been named Ezra and now their body was home to a very old and very powerful being that manipulated the magicks the warlock had the power to conjure into something dark, darker than anything Sophie had encountered. It seemed like the earth around the demon withered and died.

It had promised Sophie revenge for her sister's death. It promised Sophie powers that she couldn't even imagine. It promised her a throne, where she could rule as one of the most powerful witches known, so powerful even Klaus would run and hide when her name was spoken.

At first, that all had seemed so appealing. Sophie could all but taste that power, but now that taste had turned bitter and metallic in her mouth as the weeks passed.

Now the witches were gathering in the east, worshippers of darker magicks that were drawn to the demon Abaddon and more promises of great power. Their numbers swelled and the news of the inevitable war spread across the country, even across the globe.

And Sophie found herself alone, doubting herself and afraid of the situation she had found herself in. She found it both cruel and ironic that she could feel doubt and fear even without her soul. She had thought she would have been like Annabelle had been when under Celeste's control, mindless and bloodthirsty, but instead she was more frightened than ever.

The control the demon had over Sophie and the others was different than how Celeste controlled others. The demon was seductive by nature, using its words and magic to fill its followers with cruel intentions and the feeling of importance, like this was their destiny to carry out the demon's wishes, to kill the vampire and werewolf races.

Sophie dreaded what this would mean if they were to be successful. When she had been younger, the older witches had stressed out the use of magic came with a price, for the world depended on balance and without balance, chaos would ensue. Even with the simplest of spells, young witches and warlocks learned how to keep the scales balanced. Sophie knew that more powerful spells, like those used by the Original Witch to create the vampires and the Hybrid Klaus, had created devastating after effects, for the balance in the world had tilted from a kind of darkness that had been created. That was why hunters and warriors had been born, wired to hunt down and kill these monsters. That was why white oak trees had been planted, because only stakes made from their branches could actually kill an Original.

But if two races were to be completely slaughtered, and if the witches were too rule on the grounds soaked by that blood, Sophie feared that even worse things would be created from that imbalance. She feared that Abaddon would crack the earth to allow for their fellow demons to once again walk the earth. She feared that things only told in stories would come true and that the world would fall into despair and chaos, and no one would survive once it had destroyed itself.

Even now, she watched as the demon walked in front of the witches, its black eyes gleaming like two pools of oil, its lips curved into a wicked smile.

Sophie knew that the choice she would have to face was because of the decisions she had made. It was her that had started this imbalance of power and evil and something told her it would be her that would have the power to either fix it or destroy it all together.

She closed her eyes briefly.

She could only hope that when the time came to make that choice, she would choose wisely.

Ooo0ooO

Hundreds of miles away, Niklaus Mikaelson woke with a start, covered in sweat. His heart pounded, a feeling that still startled him sometimes, and he looked wildly around as he tried to get his bearings.

A gentle hand rested on his chest, right above his heart. "Klaus?"

Klaus looked at his mate, who was looking at him with worried gray eyes. He could feel her concern underneath his confusion and fear.

"Klaus?" Annabelle said again softly. She moved a little to sit up straighter. "Are you all right?"

Klaus managed to shake his head.

"Nightmare?"

He nodded.

Anna nudged him so he was leaning back against the headboard of their bed. She folded her legs underneath her and looked into his eyes, which were dark and troubled, like the stormy sea. "Tell me what you saw."

Klaus swallowed, trying to remember. "It was… I was back in the Quarter, in New Orleans. There was this…man… except they weren't a man. Something wasn't right. Their eyes… they were black, only black… and the way it spoke… it wasn't human nor vampire. I don't know what it was."

"What did it say?"

"It said that it was looking forward to meeting us. All of us. It said… it was looking forward to killing us, slowly." Klaus looked at his mate. "I saw Sophie Devereux, standing behind whatever that was. She looked afraid."

Anna's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, bright with fear. "Sophie? She's working with this thing?"

Klaus shook his head again, more slowly this time. "It was like… she was afraid of it. Like she wanted to run away."

Anna's brows furrowed. "Do you think she performed a spell to summon this…thing?"

"Perhaps. Whatever it is, I don't think she has control over it. I think it's controlling her almost."

"Like what Celeste did to me?"

"No, not through magic. Through fear."

Annabelle ran a hand through her hair. "We have to tell Bennett and Bonnie. We should tell Marcel to bring Davina here. She's not safe anywhere near New Orleans right now."

Klaus nodded.

Anna placed a hand over his. "Whatever it is, maybe Bennett or Antonio will know what it is and how we can beat it. We'll figure it out."

But they both heard the doubt and fear in her voice, and as they looked at each others, their thoughts were one.

If the witches had summoned something like what Klaus had seen, what did that mean for them? Would they be able to defeat whatever that was? What if this was the thing that would try to take the twins to make the prophecy come true?

Annabelle shuddered, and that tremor seemed to echo in Klaus. He pulled her in close, pressing her to his side, both of them gripping each other tightly, feeling like two kids who suddenly remembered why people were afraid of the dark.

Ooo0ooO

Elijah was sitting outside, watching the sun rise, when his brother came outside to join him. Both of them had been up for hours, unable to sleep much after Klaus had shared his dream with everyone.

Klaus looked haggard, like it had been months since he had had a proper night's sleep. Perhaps it had been.

"How is Anna?" Elijah asked, looking at his brother.

Klaus shook his head. "Not well. She's worried about me. I guess she had believed she was the only one having those kind of nightmares, since she had been under Celeste's spell. But now…"

"It started happening for you as well," Elijah finished.

Klaus looked grim. "It's not a thing I wish we had in common."

"No, I don't think so," Elijah said calmly. "Can Bennett help with the nightmares?"

"He can try performing the spell he had casted on Anna when Silas was invading her dreams, but this one will have to be much stronger. I believe he's going to ask Bonnie for assistance."

Elijah folded in hands in his lap. "And the twins?"

Klaus's expression fell. "We have no idea if they're being affected in any way. It's not like they can tell us. They're just too young, Elijah, and I… I can't bear the thought of whatever I saw in my dream harming them in any way."

Elijah exhaled deeply. "We will not allow that to happen."

"I know. I will kill anything that tries," Klaus said on a snarl, his eyes flashing.

The look that Klaus now wore reminded Elijah of how his brother used to look long before he found Anna. He looked like the afterimage of the killer he was known to be, the Hybrid that was feared so deeply by everyone and everything.

But it was also different, because Klaus was not vowing to kill just for the pleasure of killing. This was a new and different matter, the matter which had the fate of his children hanging in the balance, and Elijah knew that Klaus would keep that promise, even if it killed him too.

 _So was the selfishness of parents, to love their child so much, perhaps even more than they could ever love anything else_ , Elijah thought, reciting an old poem he had read many years ago.

It was fitting for this situation.

The quiet was broken by the sound of wolves howling, then appearing in the clearing in front of the mansion. They were led by a large white wolf, which was trailed by another large wolf whose coat gleamed a deep brown black color.

Annabelle emerged from the house, having heard the call of the pack. She looked at Klaus and Elijah, before refocusing her gaze on William, who had shifted back and was approaching her. His beta, Catherine, changed from her wolf form as well, looking tense.

Then two more wolves emerged from the woods, another white wolf, and a timber colored wolf. Antonio and Bennett fell in line with William and Catherine.

Annabelle looked worried and much older than she actually was when she read the expressions on each of their faces. "Grandfather," she said, lowering her head slightly in acknowledgement.

William looked equally as tired as his granddaughter. "We have some news."

Annabelle nodded, and Elijah could see her bracing herself for what could only be bad news. She lead them all inside the mansion.

Hayley sat in the parlor with Rebekah, feeding the twins. She tensed when she saw the group and looked at Elijah, her eyes asking a silent question.

Elijah shook his head and looked at William, indicating he was the bearer of bad news.

William sat down, and when the twins spotted him, they immediately crawled out of Hayley and Rebekah's laps to crawl into his. His faded eyes softened briefly before he began speaking.

"My sources have brought back news about the witches gathering in the east. They say that they are gathering because they are being drawn in by something evil, something that is making every other witch flee."

As he continued, they began piecing everything together.

Annabelle had interrupted her grandfather when he told them what it was that was drawing the dark witches to the east. "A demon," she repeated, as though that word was foreign to her. "Is that possible?" She looked to Bennett and Antonio.

Antonio sighed gravely. "I have only heard whispers about witches summoning demons to do their bidding. Demons are not of this world and it takes a great deal of magic to bring them here. Sacrifices have to be made."

"But a _demon_ ," Anna said again. "I've accepted that this world is full of things that are the things of nightmares, but demons…" Her voice trailed off and she trembled.

"How can we stop it?" Klaus asked.

Antonio and William exchanged a look before the latter responded. "I cannot say. From what I understand, only the person who summoned it can send it back to wherever it came from."

"Sophie Devereux," Klaus snarled.

"But how can we convince her to send it back?" Anna asked, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes. "She's the one who is leading this war on the witch side."

"I do not know," William admitted, his frame sagging.

Hope, who had been listening intently like her brother, surprised them by breaking the tense silence. "Hy-bids."

When everyone just stared, Mason bounced, his head bobbing. "Hy-bids!"

Annabelle's eyes grew huge as she met Klaus's equally startled gaze.

Hope gave them all a gummy smile. "Hy-bids," she said confidently once more before picking up William's hand to gnaw on his knuckles.

"Well," Hayley said, clearing her throat. "That's a start, right?"

Annabelle and Klaus kept looking at each other, silently communicating in their own way. Then Anna blew out a breath. "Yeah. That's a start."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	8. Honor

Chapter Seven: Honor

" _Like a whisper to the dusk_

 _An oath against the shadows_

 _Denying the dark_

 _Fight fight fight 'til the break of dawn_

 _Like a prayer unto the dawn_

 _In arms against the shadows_

 _Destroying the dark…"_

-Atreyu

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle tried to remember when everything went to hell. It felt as though one moment she was just herself, Annabelle Davis, a werewolf searching for this man she dreamed of. Then in the next moment, she was Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson, a Hybrid and a mother fighting for her own life as well as her family's.

She tried not to think about how tired and broken she felt. Not now.

Soon after William had returned with the news about the witches and the demon, they were attacked by a small but very powerful coven, right in Mystic Falls.

They had attacked in the middle of the day, when they would least expect an attack. Klaus and Annabelle had been at the mansion with the twins, trying to research more on demon summoning and possession. Elijah and Rebekah had been there as well, but the others had been in town.

Anna remembered how she had only felt a chill go down her spine, and the feeling of wrongness envelope her before the first strike hit. She remembered flinging herself to the ground, clenching Hope to her chest, and screaming at Klaus to do the same with Mason in her mind, because a real scream ripped up her throat the moment all the windows in the house exploded.

The witches brought down unnatural bolts of lightning from the sky, narrowly missing Elijah when he flashed into the room, his clothes shredded. Rebekah had screamed from another room, a sharp, angry cry of pain.

Annabelle had clung to her daughter, who had gripped her mother so tightly Anna wondered if she had broken a rib. Mason had sobbed hysterically into his father's throat, his fear payable in the electric air.

"Go, now!" Elijah had shouted, his eyes red, face laced with black veins. He bared his teeth when the witches got closer. " _Now!_ "

So Anna and Klaus ran, holding onto nothing but their children, streaking out the back door. They barely had time to look at Rebekah, who was ripping her fangs into one of the witch's throats, all while the witch had her hands pinned to either side of Rebekah's head. Blood dribbled out of the blonde Original's ears.

Now they were miles away, with no way of knowing if the other Mikaelson siblings were alive. Mason had stopped crying after some time. Hope still clung tightly to Annabelle, her dark eyes wide and wary.

Annabelle looked around. A ghost of a memory tugged at the edges of her mind when she took in their surroundings. Then it dawned on her, these were the woods she had found herself in back when the other werewolf pack had tracked her down, with her tortured brother in tow. These were the woods where she had run off to when her and Klaus were first together, when things were confusing and yet, much simpler than they were now.

She half expected to see that bulky werewolf, Mark, lumber out of the woods with that cold, calculating look on his face. She shook her head. Mark was dead. She needed to focus.

"Anna," Klaus said gently, pulling her away from her thoughts.

Anna blinked. Klaus looked haggard, even with Mason curled against his shoulder, now sleeping. "Sorry," she murmured, freeing a hand to rub at her eyes.

"Mama?" Hope asked, looking at her.

Anna looked at her daughter. "Yes, love?"

"Where Unca E-ja?" Hope asked, looking worried.

"He's..." Annabelle's throat constricted. _Oh God._ "He's going to be fine, love."

"Woof," Hope suddenly said, looking over Anna's shoulder.

Anna and Klaus whirled around. A large timber wolf stood in the clearing, his golden eyes fixed on them both. Anna felt a familiarity with that gaze.

"Patrick?" she whispered hopefully.

The wolf shifted back. Russet fur changed into smooth, tanned skin and long blonde hair. Golden eyes darkened to green. "Hey, Belle," Patrick said with a hint of a smile.

Anna sighed loudly with relief. "How did you find us?"

"I was coming back into town when I heard all the commotion. Next thing I knew, you two were flying on by and the mansion was going up in flames."

Anna gasped. "Did Elijah and Rebekah...?"

"They're fine," Patrick said, looking at Klaus when he did. "Those witches did a number on them both, but they burned with the mansion."

"And the others?" Klaus asked, finally breaking his silence.

"Wondering where the hell you are. That's why I followed you." Patrick tapped the tip of his nose. "Best tracker this side of the Mississippi."

Anna shifted Hope in her arms so her daughter could press her cheek against her own. "Is it safe to go back?"

Patrick shook his head. "I got orders from your grandpa and Antonio, you are not to return until we are sure that the witches aren't staging another attack."

"And what do you suggest we do in the meantime?" Klaus asked coolly.

Anna glanced at him. She could feel his emotions raging beneath the surface, like how their wolves did during a full moon. They were inching to break free.

"Hide," Patrick stated simply. "I have to report back and let them know you're all right."

Klaus and Anna exchanged a look before the latter nodded. "Go," she said firmly.

Patrick nodded before shifting back. He looked at them both one last time before sprinting off in a blur.

Anna turned to Klaus. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"I think... I think I know where we can stay for the night."

Ooo0ooO

"How did we not see this _coming?_ "

"Charlie, please-,"

"If those witches hadn't burned, I swear to God-,"

"Charlie!"

Charlie stopped his pacing, his expression pulled back into a snarl.

Meredith stood before him, nervously twisting her braided ring. "You need to calm down. Wolfing out won't help your sister."

Charlie sighed sharply, yanking at his long hair. He had tied it back into a stubby tail, but it was coming undone.

Hayley, who was sitting a few yards away, gave her distant cousin a baleful look. She kept cleaning Elijah's wounds slowly and carefully. "Do I need to tell you to chill?"

"I'm perfectly _chill_ ," Charlie said viciously.

"I beg to differ," Rebekah scuffed, who was sitting next to Elijah. Marcel was cleaning the blood from her face with a wet rag.

"Enough!" William shouted. His impatient gaze tore at his grandson.

Antonio stepped forward, ever calm next to the other angry wolves. "Patrick was sent to follow him. He will find them, he is an excellent tracker."

Hayley sighed. She leaned away from Elijah, studying his bandages. "You sure you don't want more blood?" she asked him with a frown.

"Rebekah needs it more than I do," he stated firmly.

Rebekah, who had been hit by a spell that had caused her blood vessels to burst, looked as though she had tried auditioning for a role in _Carrie_. She only rolled her eyes before accepting the blood bag that her brother had pushed towards her.

"At least the mansion wasn't damaged too badly," Hayley mused, eyeing the charred pillars. They were all sitting in the clearing by the driveway.

"Yeah because theveryone mansion is what's important," someone muttered.

They turned to look at Bonnie. Her and Caroline had been close enough to the mansion for Caroline to hear the attack, and together, Bonnie and Bennett had managed to stop the flames before they consumed the entire place. There was damage to the outside and most of the living and sitting rooms, as well as the windows.

And within, the smoldering bodies of four witches laid in heaps of blackened charcoal and ash. Bennett had said that this fire was not like a normal fire, but a conjured flame, which was more difficult to control and burned hotter and faster.

Rebekah had shuddered at the sight of the bodies, thinking of the shriveled, burned body of Mikael.

Suddenly, Charlie turned, his eyes flashing gold, a warning growl emitting from his chest.

"Whoa, I come in peace," Patrick said, emerging from the woods with his hands up.

"Where's my sister?" Charlie fired off, taking another step towards the other wolf.

"Safe. Her and Klaus, and the twins. They're in the southern woods of West Virginia."

"Where are they going?" William asked.

Patrick shook his head. "I'm not sure. Anna seemed to know the area. It's probably safer for all of us if we don't know where they are exactly, especially if the witches are looking for them still."

"I have to go find them,: Charlie stated, moving forward.

William blocked his path, his jaw set. "No, Charles. Patrick is right. Annabelle and Klaus will be fine. They're resourceful. It's too risky to go now, someone could follow you right to them."

Charlie bared his teeth. "You're really expecting me to just _sit here?_ My sister and brother are out there! My niece and nephew too!"

Meredith placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Charlie," she said softly. "You know he's right. Anna and Klaus are more than capable of taking care of themselves."

"But-,:

"No buts, Charles," Hayley snapped. Her expression then softened. "She'll be fine."

Charlie stepped away from his grandfather, his eyes flickering. Something about what Hayley said, and how she said it, reminded him of Anna.

 _Anna_ , he thought, clenching his fists. He tried to ground himself.

The Davis siblings had been separated before by a pack of werewolves. It had taken such a long time for them to find each other again. Now for the first time in a long time, they were apart again. That feeling nearly tore Charlie apart.

But he knew what his sister would do. She would find him, just like she always found the person she was looking for. Except this time, he vowed to find her.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus followed Annabelle through the unfamiliar forest, trusting that she knew where she was going. Her eyes glowed a soft gold, and he figured his were too, as both of their wolves were very close to the surface.

"When I was looking for you, I came through West Virginia. And when I ran away... I guess my instincts brought me back. I remember there was this creek..." she trailed off, pausing. Then she glanced at him. "Come on."

Klaus furrowed his brow. "What happened at the creek?"

Anna sighed, adjusting her hold on Hope so she wouldn't jostle her daughter as they walked on. "There was this cabin owned by some humans. It smelled abandoned so I stole some things they left behind."

Klaus had a vivid memory come back to him; Annabelle stripping off dirty clothes which were much too big, her diving into their river, how he noted the ridges in her spine and the jut of her hipbones... He shook his head.

After some time, she stopped. "There it is."

Nestled between two trees, a small cabin sat at the banks of a small creek. It smelled like rotting wood, dust, and mold, but Klaus knee they couldn't keep travelling since the sun was setting. Both he and Anna needed their rest.

They stepped inside cautiously, before Anna passed Klaus their daughter. She got a fire going in the old fireplace, which illuminated the room. Klaus sat down in front of it, holding his children gently so they could be warmed by the fire.

Anna pulled off her own jacket to wrap it around Hope, and Klaus did the same with Mason. She then sat down beside him, pressing into his side. He knew she wasn't cold, but rather it was for comfort and reassurance.

"Not how I pictured our first camping trip," she mused, breaking the silence.

Klaus chuckled quietly. "How did you picture it?"

Anna smiled, gazing into the fire. "I pictured it happening closer to home. Not Mystic Falls," she amended. "My old home. Maybe Michigan. We'd get a cabin- bigger than those one- and we'd lit a fire and teach the kids to make s'mores... then we'd lay out under the stars and tell them the constellations and count how many shooting stars we saw."

"Maybe one day we can," Klaus murmured, turning to kiss her temple.

Anna sighed, her gray eyes flickering. "Yeah. Maybe one day."

But when she slept that night, with Klaus watching over her and their children, she didn't dream of shooting stars and s'mores. She dreamed of fire and death and blood. So much blood.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	9. Into the Fire

Chapter Eight: Into the Fire

" _Come on, come on_

 _Put your hands into the fire_

 _Explain, explain_

 _As I turn, I meet the power_

 _From the summer to the spring_

 _From the mountain to the air_

 _From samaritan to sin_

 _And it's waiting on the air_

 _Now I'm low, I'm looking out, I'm looking in_

 _Way down, the lights are dimmer.._ "

-Thirteen Senses

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle sat down on the banks of the creek, listening as the world around her woke up. The sun was slowly rising, turning the sky orange and pink, bringing in its warmth that chased away the lingering chill of night.

Her fingers brushed over the damp grass, which was spotted down dew, leaving a streak behind. She saw a frog sitting a rock near her hand, its golden eyes unblinking as it croaked. She closed her eyes.

Inhaling, she could smell the dirt and the grass, the nearby trees, the flowers growing over by the water and the wild mushrooms growing in thick clusters under the trees. She could smell the damp, molding wood from the cabin and the familiar scents of her family, nestled inside by the dying embers of the fireplace.

The wind teased her hair from the tail she had tied down it into the day prior. It tickled her cheeks and throat.

Then there was a stirring in her mind, followed by a surge of warmth and comfort as Klaus woke up. She could feel him reaching out for her and sent a wave of reassurance, allowing him to see what she saw, telling him she was right outside.

She moved when she heard her son calling for her in his sleepy voice. She looked out over the creek and scanned the woods, satisfied that they were completely alone.

When she stepped back inside the cabin, Klaus was getting the fire going again. Mason and Hope sat up against each other. Mason was tugging at Hope's foot, making her giggle.

Annabelle smiled, sighing softly. Then she sat down behind them both, letting them crawl into her lap. She nuzzle them both as they nestled against her chest.

Ooo0ooO

Hayley sat next to Meredith on the small couch in the apartment that the doctor shared with Charlie, watching as he paced across the floor.

Rebekah glided back into the living room, eyeing the agitated werewolf. "Well," she sighed. "Now I understand why you both are always at the mansion. Do you honestly survive on beer and those frozen meals?"

Charlie gave her a half-hearted snarl.

Meredith looked sheepish. "We aren't known for our cooking."

Rebekah sighed delicately before perching on the arm of the couch. Leaning on the wall adjacent to the couch were Marcel and Elijah, both talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Where is he?" Charlie muttered irritably.

They were all waiting for William, who had sent away his pack the moment the witches made themselves known. He had placed his Beta in charge, and promised to meet them all once he saw them off.

Hayley shifted in her seat. The apartment was too small for so many people and the various energies and the air itself was stifling. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to reach out.

She remembered how Anna had told them about the strings she felt that had bonded her to Klaus, a soul bond and a weaker sire bond, and the familial strings that tied her to Charlie and to Hayley. Anna had later explained to Hayley how she could "see" these strings if she focused her energy and reached out, seeking the bond she felt towards a person or persons.

When Hayley closed her eyes, she didn't see strings. Rather, she felt different energies which dictated who the person was. Klaus had a dark blue energy, and Anna gray, but now after they married, their energies were one, colored like the soul mark, a deep blue-gray.

Right now, Charlie's energy, which was typically gray like his sister's, was mixed with black anxiety. It crackled across the air like before lightning strikes.

Hayley's energy, a golden green color, withdrew away from the blackness without her even realizing it.

Rebekah and Elijah both shared a deep burgundy energy, and Marcel's was deep blue like how Klaus's used to be.

Hayley turned her attention to Meredith. Being human, her energy wasn't as strong as the other supernatural beings', but it still had a presence in the crowd. It was a rich, warm amber color. Without meaning to, Hayley listened more carefully, picking up on her husband's conversation with Marcel. The sound of her, Charlie, and Meredith's heartbeats seemed to echo loudly in a room where the remaining hearts laid dormant.

Yes, she could hear Charlie's anxiously pound, while hers was calm, like Meredith's, and...

Hayley froze, her eyes snapping open. _And?_ she thought again, bewildered. She tilted her head to the side and counted. One, two, three...

Stiffening, Hayley turned back towards Meredith with wide eyes.

The human doctor saw her stare and smiled, her amber brown eyes warm. "What is it?"

 _No way. I must be hearing things._

But a voice in the back of her head nagged at her, saying she wasn't. It was very faint, almost too faint to pick up unless you listened hard, but it was there...

Hayley shook her head. "Nothing."

And the front door opened, preventing Meredith from pressing Hayley. The werewolf sighed very softly, relieved as William stepped into the now even more crowded apartment, his cool gaze serious.

Ooo0ooO

A large, dark colored wolf lead a pack through the forests of Mystic Falls, her golden eyes watching and sharp ears listening. She snarled when she picked up on an unfamiliar scent.

Another wolf emerged from the trees, followed by a more familiar looking timber wolf. The former was a soft gray color, like the palest clouds.

The dark female approached the lighter colored female, before they each shifted back to their human forms. Catherine stood facing Eve and her son, Patrick.

Eve eyed the other woman, someone she had not seen in years. Her chest constricted, thinking of her sister, who had been the pack's former female Alpha. Even back then, Catherine had been the pack Beta and once, her and Eve had been close friends.

"Eve," Catherine said coolly.

"Catherine," the other woman returned in the same tone.

Catherine's pack suddenly growled when Eve's much larger pack stepped out into the clearing.

"Whoa, hey, we come in peace or whatever," Patrick said, lifting his hands.

Catherine turned her dark eyes to Eve's pack, which consisted of many wolves of different sizes and colors. "You're late."

Eve frowned. "It was not easy coming from New Orleans. The witches there are at a stage of unrest, as some are moving east and others are staying behind, not wanting to be part of this war."

"War will come, no matter what side they choose."

"Yes," Eve agreed grimly. "But many don't want to join the side of a demon and the witch who summoned it."

"Bennett left the other day with Bonnie, after things were squared away at the mansion," Patrick explained, scratching the back of his head. "They're going to try to see if they can get those witches on our side."

Catherine lifted a brow. "And if they don't?"

Eve and Patrick exchanged a look, before the former met Catherine's gaze. "Then they will fall victim to the demon's possession."

"You've seen this?" Catherine asked, even as her pack shifted uneasily, growling amongst themselves.

Eve nodded. "A witch tried to assist the vampire Marcel in extracting the young witch Davina from New Orleans. The demon caught her and... took over. I saw it take her free will, her mind."

"Was he successul?"

Again, Eve nodded. "She's hidden away where only Marcel can find her for the time being."

Ooo0ooO

Charcoal smeared hands quickly traced over a blank canvas in fast strokes. The image was nearly complete and growing faint in the artist's mind.

A hand reached back to yank a strand of dark hair from their eyes, leaving a gray smudge on their cheeks before returning to the canvas.

She had to capture it before she forgot. Her hands seemed to know what to do.

It had been some time since she had picked up a piece of charcoal, or a paint brush. She hadn't been driven to do so since the images of a silhouette of a pregnant woman standing in the midst of a flaming war had first appeared in her dreams.

But this was different. This was one clear image, a face, a face not unlike the silhouette's, but different as well. The same slender eyebrows and dainty, sloping nose. The same chin and shape of the eyes. The same fall of curling hair and the same elegant neck. But different eyes and cheekbones and lips. A different expression and air.

Color came next, in quick, desperate strokes. Paint splattered on the girl's clothes and on the floor, unnoticed. Turpentine and oil scented the air.

And when it was done, when it was finally done, Davina stepped back and stared. It was as though she finally saw it, as though she had been a woman possessed as she worked and now was seeing it clearly for the first time.

And a single, hushed word slipped from her trembling lips.

"Hope."

Ooo0ooO

Miles away, Hope cuddled in her mother's arms, dozing quietly. They had started moving again soon after the sun had risen, not wanting to waste any time.

Mason was perched on his father's shoulders, his chubby cheek pressed to Klaus's hair as he too slept soundly.

Annabelle ignored the odd feeling she suddenly got. Looking over her shoulder, she assured herself that no one was watching them. If someone had been close, both her and Klaus would have been able to hear and or smell them.

Exhaling softly, Anna adjusted her daughter so the tiny Hybrid could rest more comfortably against the crook of her mother's neck.

She then looked at her mate, expressing her tired, worried thoughts wordlessly.

Her mate sent a wave of strength through their bond, followed by some reassurance and encouragement. He tried to give her a small smile.

Anna merely walked more briskly, focusing on keeping her steps quick and silent, trying not to jostle Hope while avoiding making any sudden and loud noises. Even though she couldn't hear or see or smell anything, both Hybrids erred on the side of caution.

Klaus frowned when he felt his mate's silent yet turbulent emotions though the soul bond. He knew she was tired and concerned for those they left behind, as well as for the safety of their children. But underneath that was a rather vicious and dark anger, buried and pushed down deep. Some of it was instinct, the wolf recognizing the attacks on its mate, children, and pack, but most of it stemmed from the woman herself.

Klaus nearly flinched at the dark, yet familiar taste it left on his tongue. It wasn't unlike the rage he had held within himself for centuries.

Annabelle was furious. She felt so much anger towards these witches, towards that demon, and towards Sophie Devereux. She felt anger at how things were and how they had been for so long now. This was not how she wanted things to turn out when she and her brother had first set out to find this mysterious man haunting her dreams.

How could she want this? Ever since her and Klaus met, there had always been some kind of three mat against them and against those they knew. She had put her life on the line many times, then she had put her children's lives at risk by carrying them in a dangerous environment before delivering them into a world that already had a dark purpose for them both.

The anger was slowly choking out any fear or sadness, and it grew deep within her body. She didn't feel it always, but a part of her knew it was there.

She wanted answers for why her and Klaus were destined to live this doomed kind of life and why their children were marked as killers even before they drew their first breath.

A very smell and very quiet voice called out in her mind, trying to tell her that this anger would only lead her down a dark path where there was no happy ending. It screamed and ranted at her to think about this logically, to approach this with a clear mind and heart. It sounded suspiciously like her own voice, ringing out with a determination that she felt she hadn't felt since she had made it her own purpose to pull Klaus off the dark path he himself had been on.

Had that only been a few years ago? Was that woman still buried inside her, the woman he who fought for Klaus and believed that he was a good man? Was she there, reminding herself that she was not a monster and she didn't have to become on if she didn't believe she was one? Was she screaming out the same words she had screamed at Klaus so many times?

Klaus watched his mate and his heart ached.

He knew that he could do his part in keeping Anna away from the darkness that was eating away at her, but the only person who could save her was herself.

So he prayed she would find a piece of her own self again, the same woman who had guided him from the dark into the light, the same woman who had truly changed the beast into a man.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	10. Fix You

Chapter Nine: Fix You

" _Tears stream down your face_

 _I promise you I will learn from my mistakes,_

 _Lights will guide you home_

 _And ignite your bones_

 _and I will try to fix you..._ "

-Coldplay

Ooo0ooO

News that it was safe to return home to Mystic Falls reached Klaus and Anna through Patrick, who had made the long journey to pass it along.

The younger werewolf stayed with them as they went back, holding both twins as Klaus and Anna trailed behind slowly.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think she's lying," Patrick said to the young Hybrids as he carried them along. "I mean, she's a vampire, I'm a werewolf, I get it. Very Romeo and Juliet."

Klaus and Anna both snorted.

Patrick kept rambling on about the dark haired vampire named Emily, who had been the same vampire who had sang at Klaus and Anna's wedding.

 _Unrequited love_ , Klaus mused, speaking to Anna through their bond.

Anna's lips twitched. _Who knows? Maybe she's just playing hard to get._

 _Or Patrick has conjured up a rather vivid fantasy_ , Klaus speculated, lifting a brow.

The female Hybrid shrugged. _Let him. He's not hurting anyone._

Klaus gave his mate a sideways glance. He figured she would try to meddle in some way, like she had with Hayley and Elijah. But her gray eyes remained impassive and distracted.

He frowned. He could tell she was lost in her innermost thoughts. He was tempted to delve inside her mind but he knew better than that. Even with this psychic link, they had both agreed to be courteous about each other's own private thoughts. It was made easier by how they "felt" each other through the bond, which Klaus felt was like being nudged internally.

So he gave her a nudge, asking her wordlessly if she was all right.

She offered him a small smile and nodded, but didn't respond verbally.

Klaus's frown deepened.

Ooo0ooO

Three days later, Anna sat alone out on the balcony of the mansion, watching as the sky darkened into twilight. It turned a deep violet color, with streaks of lavender from the remaining sun beams, and darkness crept in ever so slowly.

She thought about the last dream she had, which had been a repetition of the nightmares were her daughter had so brutally slaughtered her father, but then, neat the end, it had changed.

At the end, Klaus had opened his eyes. Pinned to the tree by the white oak stake, he gave no sign he was in pain, since his eyes held Anna's with love and understanding that seemed so out of place as she stifled her screams.

He watched her even as she rushed to him. She cried when she couldn't pull the stake from his chest, and a cruel, mocking laughter escaped her daughter's lips from behind her.

"Like the sword in the stone," Hope had jeered. "And you're no Arthur."

Anna had met Klaus's gaze again, tears swimming in her eyes. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked him, still yanking and tearing at the stake until her fingernails cracked and bled.

 _Fight..._ he had whispered to her silently.

And then she felt him die, leaving behind a coldness that seeped into her veins and through her body and soul, until there was nothing but an aching emptiness and the echoing sigh of his final breath.

Anna squeezed her eyes shut at the memory of it all. She wanted to shudder and scream, to curse and shout and tear something apart.

How could this come to pass? Her daughter, her baby...

Annabelle opened her eyes.

It still felt so far off. Although the prophecy had had no strict deadline on when the twins would turn, Anna felt her dreams were providing her with the answers. Years had to pass and her daughter, her _Hope_ , would grow up to believe she wasn't as loved as her brother by her mother. But how could that be? The love that Anna felt for them both burned with the fervor of a sun, a million suns.

So what happens? What happened?

Anna blinked when she felt a tear streak down her cheek, splashing onto the back of her hand.

"You can't hide away from this forever, you know."

Anna drew in a breath, releasing it heavily. "I can try."

Hayley frowned and sat down next to the woman she considered her sister. "Anna, that's not like you."

The older Hybrid laughed bitterly. "Isn't it? My instinct is always to run first."

"I don't think it is anymore."

Anna turned her dull, iron colored eyes to Hayley. "So what am I supposed to do? Wait until the witches decide to take my children, until they mold them into the monsters they'll always see them as?"

"I think I know someone who can help," Hayley said gently, before looking over Anna's shoulder.

Anna glanced back and saw Marcel standing at the doorway, but it was the slender girl who stood half-hidden behind him that caught her attention. Anna stood immediately.

"Davina?" she whispered.

The young witch smiled, stepping around Marcel. They hadn't seen each other since Anna's wedding. "Hi."

Anna smiled softly. "Hi."

Davina blinked rapidly, as though sensing the Hybrid's turbulent emotions before she walked forward, her arms outstretched.

The two women embraced, laughing quietly before asking how the other was. Anna pulled back first, brushing a curl away from the young woman's face.

"I have something for you and Klaus," Davina said, gesturing to a covered canvas.

When Anna glanced at him, Marcel smiled. "He's in the drawing room."

Ooo0ooO

Klaus eyed the painting in front of him, his head tilted to the side. It was vividly detailed, an up close portrait of his favorite subject.

He never worried about capturing Anna's likeness. Even if she was a series of wiggling lines, she would be beautiful. This time, however, he wanted to capture the feeling within the painting, and the feeling he felt looking at it and adding to it.

It was a detailed image of Anna when she was carrying the twins in the last days of her pregnancy. The background was mere shadow and void, darkness seeping into darkness that's broken apart by the opening in the curtains behind her, providing a stream of sunlight that warmed her distended stomach and hands which covered the twins.

Lying on the center of their bed, twined with the crimson sheets, Anna gazed up at the ceiling, her eyes locked on the dust motes the viewer could barely make out in the beam of light. Her hands protectively covered her large stomach, which was exposed, since her shirt was rolled up right under her breasts. And since the view was from the left, the viewer got a clear perspective on the soul mark, wounding its way up her hand and forearm in ribbons of dark blue and gray. Her wedding band and engagement ring glowed in the low light, the sapphire stone nearly transparent from the light.

And he knew its title long before he had begun to put it down on canvas.

 _Waiting for Hope._

Of course, it was a play on words. It told a story of Anna and Klaus waiting for both their daughter and their son, as well as the feeling of hope they felt whenever they felt the babies move.

His thoughts were interrupted when he sensed Anna close by. He covered the painting with a cloth, knowing it wasn't quite ready to be seen by anyone else yet.

But his head remained titled when he scented more familiar scents following his mate's.

Anna walked in front, her gray eyes unreadable. She was followed by Hayley and Marcel, and lastly by Davina. His eyes strayed to the covered painting Davina held in her hands.

"She said it's something we both should see," Anna explained, moving to his side, reading his thoughts without even delving into his mind.

Davina set the painting down and met both of their gazes before pulling back the cloth that kept it covered.

Anna gasped, her eyes growing wide.

Klaus stilled before taking his mate's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Is it... is that Hope?" Anna whispered.

Davina nodded. "Sixteen years from now."

Anna's nails bit into Klaus's hand briefly, and he felt a flash of distress shoot through her body. "Is that when the prophecy is supposed to come true?"

Davina brushed her hand over the canvas, tracing along Hope's shoulder. "I don't know," she admitted in a soft voice. "That hasn't been...clear."

Anna now looked at Klaus, her storm colored eyes flashing, filled with uncertainty and anxiety.

Klaus put an arm around her, pulling her in close. He kissed her temple very gently and nuzzled her cheek and hair, murmuring words of reassurance into her ear.

Ooo0ooO

The following week found Anna and Klaus in lighter spirits. That was because, at this very moment, they were watching their children walk across the room towards them on their own for the very first time.

Anna reached out for her daughter, ignoring the joyful tears streaming down her cheeks. She imagined an older Hope, reaching out for her mother, her eyes bright and full of love, rather than full of contempt, like how they were in Anna's dreams.

Hope squealed as she grabbed her mother's hands, obviously very proud of herself.

Mason tumbled into Klaus's arms, making them both laugh. "Well done, my son," Klaus said with a smug smile.

Across the room, Hayley stood next to Bennett, watching the scene quietly. She gave the other Hybrid a curious look. "How long did it take for you to reach being full grown?"

"Much faster than a human," Bennett said. "I imagine that the twins will start growing even more quickly."

"Why?"

Bennett shrugged. "I've forseen it."

"But they're growing at almost a human rate now," Hayley pointed out.

"The more in tuned with their Hybrid side they become, the faster they will grow."

"Will they need to kill someone to wake it up?"

Bennett shook his head. "They aren't just vampire or just wolf. They're already both. No, if my visions are correct, they'll age three to four years to one human year."

Hayley frowned. "You mean in about four years they'll be teenagers? Do Anna and Klaus know?"

The witch Hybrid shook his head. "Only Anna. She knows, in her own way, even without me telling her. The bond and residual witch magick has given her visions as well."

"What kind of visions?"

Bennett's already dark eyes deepened to an opaque hue. "Terrible things. But thing is for certain. These things are never...clear."

Ooo0ooO

After a month of walking, Hope took everyone by surprise by saying her first word. Mason was quick to follow and before long, they were calling out the two words again and again.

"Dada!"

"Mama!"

Annabelle sniffled the first few times she heard her daughter call out for her. Klaus had a similar reaction with Mason. They were pleasantly surprised when the twins then switched off the two words, until the house echoed with the calls for Dada and Mama.

It all caught up to Anna every night. Fear gripped her heart as her heart screamed out for her children to stop growing, to slow down just a little. They were already larger than most toddlers, and she knew in her heart that they would keep growing at this rapid pace.

But was she being selfish in wishing they'd stay young for a little longer? Or was she afraid that if they grew too fast, then the prophecy would come to pass much sooner than any of them anticipated?

Klaus turned over, listening to his mate's turbulent thoughts. "Anna," he murmured, reaching out to stroke her back soothingly.

She sighed and turned over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "What am I supposed to do, Klaus? They're growing so fast..."

Klaus shifted so he could look at her better. "My Anna, nothing will stop this prophecy if it's meant to pass. All we can do is prepare to fight."

Anna blinked.

 _Fight..._ dream Klaus had whispered, staked to a tree like a ritual sacrifice.

"How?" she whispered, turning to face each him, tucking a hand under her cheek.

Klaus smiled, rubbing her back still. "Together."

Anna sighed again, but it was relief as some of the tension drained from her body. How could she forget?

 _You're not alone,_ Charlie had reminded her.

"Forever and always," she agreed, moving closer into his embrace, letting him soothe away her worries, even if it was just for tonight.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Things are about to speed up...**

 **This chapter was inspired by the song Surrender by Natalie Taylor.**

 **Please review!**


	11. All We Do

**This chapter features minor character death.**

Chapter Ten: All We Do

" _All we do is hide away_

 _All we do is chase the day_

 _All we do is lie and wait_

 _All we do is play it safe_

 _All we do is live inside a cage_

 _All I did was fail today..._ "

-Oh Wonder

Ooo0ooO

 _The smell of blood coated the air thickly. It soaked deep into the ground, killing the grass and plant life. Death always left its mark on the land._

 _Bodies were littered across the ground, throats torn and gaping. Milky eyes stared blindly up at the sky, where a full moon sat heavily, surrounded by dark clouds._

 _Panting, trembling uneasily on its legs, a lone wolf stood amongst the bodies and gore, staring unblinkingly at them._

 _Another wolf slipped out from the shadows, its gold eyes gleaming like coins in the moonlight. It approached the other, whimpering at the stench of death._

 _The first wolf looked at the other, its muzzle and coat dripping with blood. Then it shifted back into its human form._

 _The second wolf followed suit. Mason stared at the bodies, then looked at his sister. "Hope... what did you do?"_

Klaus gasped, sitting up.

The room was dark and quiet, with the cool night air billowing in from the open balcony door. It brought in the smells of the forest and the river, which was familiar, comforting.

Klaus looked at Anna, who was still sleeping at his side. It didn't look like this was a nightmare they shared. No, this was his own entirely.

Ooo0ooO

Down the hallway, Bennett also woke with a start. Sweat beaded his brow as he struggled to catch his breath.

Lately, he hadn't been able to sleep well due to nightmares and premonitions. All of them revolved around the twins, mainly Hope. They were full of blood, broken and torn apart bodies, and a little brown wolf in the middle of it all, drenched in blood and standing under the light of a full moon.

Her ages changed constantly in these visions. It seemed the future was unclear on _when_ this would all start, but it was certain it _would_.

Bennett dragged a hand through his damp hair, swearing softly.

Walking out of his room, he went downstairs, figuring a drink would help. And sitting alone, drink already in hand, was Klaus, his face covered in shadows.

"I see you can't sleep as well," Bennett commented, moving to pour himself a glass from the decanter.

Klaus's eyes flickered in his direction, but he didn't reply. He only took another deep sip of whiskey.

Bennett took the decanter and refilled Klaus's glass. He then sat down across from the other Hybrid, leaning back to sit in the moonlight that was filtering in through the window.

"Tell me," Bennett said with a measure of calm, "what keeps the great Niklaus Mikaelson awake in the middle of the night?"

Ooo0ooO

When Klaus returned to the room he shared with Anna, she was awake and waiting for him. She sat on the settee opposite to the bed, her eyes locked on his. Draped in a black silk robe, she looked like a queen, all tumbled curls and delicate features.

 _What is it?_ she asked him softly, even as he moved across the room to her, needing to be close to her.

He sat down beside her and pulled her legs across his lap, making the robe slip open to reveal the long, pale length of her legs. He tucked her head under his chin and put both of his arms around her.

"Klaus?" she whispered, plucking at his shirt with her fingers. "What is it?"

Instead of speaking, he opened his mind to her, letting her to see what he had in the nightmare. He told her wordlessly about the fears and doubts he harbored about their future. He then said how Bennett, too, was having visions of their daughter.

Anna listened intently, her brow creased. Her fingers played with his shirt more anxiously, tugging and pulling at a loose piece of thread. When he pulled back to look at her, her eyes were dark as storm clouds.

"I should have killed Sophie Devereux the moment I saw her at our wedding," she snarled in a very soft tone.

Klaus nearly flinched at that. _He_ was the one who threatened murder, not Anna. The sudden reversal made him uneasy.

"Annabelle," he sighed, pressing his cheek to her hair. "My Anna. I don't believe that would've stopped anything."

"If she was dead, she wouldn't have called that demon. How are we supposed to fight a _demon_ , Klaus?" Anna pulled away, staring hard into his eyes.

"I wouldn't bet on it doing much of anything, not with you around," Klaus said, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards.

Anna's eyes narrowed, but then she shook her head. She leaned against him again. "I'm not going to let my daughter grow up believing I don't love her," she stated, her voice now firm and resolute. "I'm not going to let anything happen to her or to Mason."

"I know, my Anna. And I shall be by your side, always."

In response, Anna nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. And just breathed him in.

Ooo0ooO

A pair of cold, pure black eyes stared fixedly at the Mikaelson mansion, watching as a tall, pale figure emerged from the second floor balcony. With a tangled mess of brown curls, she was easy to idenitfy.

"What are we doing here?"

The demon didn't miss the tremor in Sophie Devereux's voice. It made it smile, knowing she was afraid. "All in good time, my darling Sophie."

"They're going to know we've been here," the witch argued from a couple yards away. She shivered, partly due to the cold, partly due to the evil smirk casted her way.

"Good. Let them come."

"But I thought we were waiting for the twins-,"

"They won't be ready for a while. It isn't the time for them. But, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun of our own."

"What do you mean it isn't time for them?"

"Well, they can't fulfill their destiny when they're still in diapers, now can they? No... Patience, Sophie. You'll know when they're ready."

Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. "W-What are you going to do?"

The demon grinned, or rather, bared its teeth. "I'm going to rip apart that little Hybrid's life, person by person."

Ooo0ooO

Charlie whistled cheerfully as he strode up to the mansion. He had gotten a voicemail from his sister, asking him if he could help watch the twins. Eager to help, he drove up right away, looking forward to seeing his niece and nephew.

Meredith had stayed behind at their apartment, wanting to take care of some paperwork. She had kissed him affectionately when he told her where he was off too. "I love you," she whispered, resting her hand on his cheek.

Charlie grinned. Even though they hadn't had time to plan the wedding with everything going on, he felt like a lucky wolf to have her in his life. He never believed in the whole mate thing, not until he had met Klaus's.

Even though he didn't have any weird dreams or a psychic link with Meredith, she fit into his life like she was supposed to be there the whole time. She was perfect, strong and loving, not to mention brave and sexy.

Knocking on the door, he kept grinning as he walked inside, calling out his sister's name.

"Charlie?" Anna called, standing at the top of the stairs. She wore a pleasantly confused smile. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Meredith."

Charlie laughed. "Very funny, Anna. You asked me to watch the kids, remember?"

As Anna descended from the stairs, she slowly frowned. "No, I didn't."

Charlie lifted an amused brow. "Well, it sure sounded like you. Unless the twins are suddenly old enough to make prank calls..." He trailed off when he saw that the confusion in her eyes was genuine. "Anna, if you didn't call me, who did?"

Suddenly, Charlie's phone went off, startling them both. When he saw it was Meredith, he answered right away.

A cold, sinister voice greeted him. "Hello, Charlie."

Charlie stiffened, as did Anna. "Who is this?" he demanded. "Where's Meredith?"

"Oh, your fiancée? She's right here."

There was a sharp crack on flesh hitting flesh, and a low, muffled cry.

Charlie snarled. "If you lay a hand on her, you son of a bitch-,"

"Ah ah, Charlie," the voice sneered. "Say hello, Meredith."

There was a gasp, ragged and trembling. "Ch- Charlie, it's the demon, it's in the apart-,"

Suddenly Meredith's voice cut out, followed by gagging and more muffled screams.

The voice returned. "Now, Charlie. I know your sister is there. Why don't you put us on speaker?"

Charlie lifted the phone away from his ear, his expression blazing. Anna just stared back with wife eyes and a very pale complexion.

"Anna, hello! We haven't had the pleasure of meeting. But I think you know who I am... don't you, Anna?"

"Yes," Anna breathed.

"Good, good. Now, Anna, I want you to listen very closely."

A scream ripped through the speaker, followed by a thick, wet tearing sound. Gurgling and gasping followed.

"Meredith!" Charlie yelled, his eyes wolf gold.

"Pity, really. I mean, I should thank Meredith. She's the one, after all, who helped bring the twins into the world. Oh well, bygones and whatnot. And Anna? This won't be the only one. If you keep interfering with my plans, I'll hunt down and kill everyone you know, everyone who has so much as breathed a word for you. I'll cut their throats... just like poor Meredith here."

Charlie dropped the phone before flashing out of the house.

Anna stared at it, listening to the crackling laughter echo through the room.

"Until next time, Anna."

Ooo0ooO

Klaus stood behind Annabelle as Antonio spoke an old Italian blessing while sprinkling Meredith's grave and coffin with a mix of herbs and holy water.

She clung to her brother, both of them draped in deep black. She didn't cry, or at least, not out loud. A steady stream of tears soaked her cheeks and clothes, as well as her brother's shoulder.

Charlie was quiet, unreadable. Klaus could all but smell the deep rooted rage and hurt inside him. His eyes were barely gray these days, never straying far from the wild gold of his wolf.

When the services were finished, Anna lead her brother away as Klaus laid down a bouquet of flowers on top of the fresh dirt covering the grave. He didn't say anything, because he didn't know what to say. The flowers, a batch of asphodel, pheasant's eye, and forget-me-nots swayed in the breeze.

 _Klaus_ , Anna called softly. Her eyes waited for his across the way. _I'm going for a run with Charlie. He... needs some time._

 _Of course_ , Klaus said with a nod. _Go on._

Anna smiled before turning back to her brother. "Let's go."

Charlie barely nodded before his clothes and skin ripped apart, leaving behind a massive brown wolf. He snarled and took off, blurring away into the trees.

Anna stepped forward to follow, then froze, looking around.

The cemetery was quiet now. Everyone was already in their cars, driving off, but a tingle down her spine told Anna she wasn't alone.

Then she turned and snarled at the woman standing behind her.

Sophie Devereux gulped visibly before lifting her trembling hands. "Wait. I just want to talk."

" _Talk?_ " Anna repeated, stalking towards the witch. "Thanks to the demon you summoned, Meredith is _dead._ Why the hell would I want to talk to you? I should rip your throat out!"

"Because you and I want the same thing!"

Anna stilled, her eyes bleeding black and gold. "Talk quickly," she commanded on a growl.

"I didn't know the demon was going to kill your doctor friend. I swear. I... I can't control it. It's too strong. But I can get rid of it."

"How?" Anna asked sharply.

"There's a spell. An old one. It requires three powerful witches. It will send the demon back into hell."

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

Sophie managed to shrug. "You don't. Look, I know you and I... we don't exactly like each other. And I get it, I do. I wanted nothing more than to avenge my sister, and I didn't think of the price. But this demon, Anna? It's bad news."

"If it goes back to hell, what happens to the prophecy?"

"I don't know." When Anna snarled, Sophie jumped back. "I don't know, I swear! That prophecy was in place long before I called that thing."

"Is there a chance that stopping the demon will stop the prophecy?"

"Maybe," Sophie said. "It has...plans for Hope and Mason. I've seen it, in visions. Anna... it's going to tear them apart and recreate them into something that Klaus would even fear."

Anna eyes the witch. "This spell, it'll work?"

Sophie nodded. "By the next full moon, all I need is two other witches to form a circle with me. I'm not strong enough on my own."

Anna thought about Bennett and Bonnie. "Why?" she asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Sophie lowered her eyes, regret shadowing her face. "Like I said, I didn't think of the price. In the end, all of this...?" The witch met the Hybrid's gaze. "It's not worth bringing the end of two supernatural races for a personal vendetta."

"If you double cross us, I swear..."

Sophie lifted her hands again. "I won't. I swear. I just... I just want this to be over. And I think you do too."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **For flower enthusiasts, here's what the flowers that Klaus rested on the grave meant:**

 **Asphodel: My regrets will follow you to the grave**

 **Pheasant's eye (Adonis): Sorrowful remembrance**

 **Forget-me-not: Forget me not**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	12. Goodbye to You

Chapter Eleven: Goodbye to You

" _Of all the things I believed in_

 _I just want to get it over with_

 _Tears form behind my eyes_

 _But I do not cry..._

 _Goodbye to you_

 _Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_

 _You were the one I loved_

 _The one thing that I tried to hold onto..._ "

-Michelle Branch

Ooo0ooO

A solemn three months passed slowly after Meredith's death. It was not easy and time did not heal the wounds it left behind as quickly as everyone hoped. It was too close, too personal, and it shook the foundation that Klaus and Anna had built to its core.

Charlie had disappeared a few nights after the funeral. Everyone except Anna wanted to look for him, but when they asked Anna why she wasn't, she would only shake her head and smile. "He'll come back when he's ready," she reassured them.

And so they believed her, for who were they to argue with his sister, the one who knew him the best?

Anna ached quietly for her brother and her friend, gone too soon, taken from them all so quickly and brutally. Even the twins seemed to know something was wrong.

Alone on the porch, Anna gazed out towards the distant hills. Her gray eyes reflected the colors of the setting sun, a fiery blaze of orange of gold. She was worried for her brother, but she knew he was capable of taking care of himself.

Sighing, she leaned back and thought back to the night he left...

Ooo0ooO

 _ **Flashback**_

Twin brown wolves burst through the forests of Mystic Falls, racing each other along the river that carved its way through the town. The male dug in, his claws ripping deep into the earth, flinging himself forward.

His sister, the smaller of the two, kept up with ease. Her golden eyes blazed fiercely.

Then they found themselves at the peak of the falls, breathing heavily, their coats damp with sweat. They stood side by side, overlooking the entirety of the town, which flickered and breathed beneath them as twilight crept in, darkening the sky and lengthening the shadows.

The wolves shifted back into their human form, then sat down side by side, their legs hanging over the cliff's edge. Clad in shorts and t-shirts to combat the humid night, both Anna and Charlie were barefoot. Their hair was tied back in matching knots, keeping it off of their necks and sweaty faces.

Neither of them said anything for a very long time, not unail the moon had risen and hung heavily in the sky. Then it was Charlie who broke the silence, while leaning back against his hands, sighing heavily.

"I should have been there."

Anna looked over at her brother, whose expression was hard like stone. She mirrored his position, swinging her foot. "There's nothing you could have done, Charlie," she told him softly. "We didn't know."

Charlie clenched his jaw, then looked away. "Anna, I can't keep... I can't keep _losing_ the people I love. First it was Mom and Dad, then you for a long time, now Meredith... I just _can't_. It's killing me."

Annabelle moved closer, pressing herself to his side. She looped her arm through his, pressing her cheek to his shoulder. "The rest of us are still here, and we aren't going anywhere. We love you, Charlie."

Charlie's shoulders heaved as his breath hitched, grew heavy. "Anna, I should have protected her, like I should have protected you and Mom and-,"

"Charlie, enough," Anna said gently, yet firmly. She tightened her grip on him. "Our parents and Meredith wouldn't want you to carry around this guilt. That's what will kill you." She sighed, holding onto him, wishing she could take at least some of his pain away. "You still have people life that care about you."

Charlie was quiet for a long moment. "What am I supposed to do now?" he finally asked.

Anna shrugged, leaning her chin on his shoulder. "That part is up to you, big brother."

Then, finally, Charlie broke. He turned into his sister's waiting arms, and cried into her hair, all while she soothed him. He cried out for the woman he had loved, for the parents he had lost, and for the future he would never get to have with them gone.

And the next morning, he was gone.

 _ **Flashback Ends**_

Ooo0ooO

Rebekah had always supposed that life was a funny, flighty thing for humans. How quickly it came and went, no matter how short or long, how profound or shallow.

For an immortal being, she thought of life as both a gift and a curse. The gift was the people, and the curse was watching time take them away from you. It was a gift in its small favors; the elegance that came with the older years, such as the 19th century, the music and the arts, the journeys that came when you had nothing but time to kill. Then it swapped out those gifts for something else entirely; for loneliness and heartache, for a feeling that you were staring down the barrel of eternity with nothing else to accomplish.

She supposed that was why it was easy to lose yourself to madness when you were destined to live forever. She had glimpsed that madness in her brother, Niklaus, before he had met his Anna. She had seen it in their father, who was a man driven by the one desire to kill the creatures he himself had had a hand in creating.

But then there was a different kind of madness, the madness that came with losing the one who was supposed to share your eternity with you. And there, she saw Charlie Davis, the odd werewolf, brother to her new sister, and in a way, a new brother to herself as well.

Rebekah figured that was another funny part of life, how it took away people you loved, only to bring in more. It seemed you were never truly away from anyone you loved, it was just the faces that changed with time. But some of those faces would last.

Rebekah watched as Charlie grieved for his human lover, a woman take from him by one of life's more cruel moments. She could remember the times throughout her life when she felt grief for a lost lover, so she felt a great deal of sympathy for the man who had showed her own brothers nothing but kindness and acceptance.

So she found herself standing with him, staring out towards the cold Pacific Ocean while the waves crashed against the rocky shoreline.

He was lost, that much she knew, and he was searching for something, and she wondered if he even knew what it was. After he had disappeared from Mystic Falls, everyone had tried to find him, all save for his sister. She was waiting for him, giving him time and space, which Rebekah could also understand.

But it had been Rebekah who had found him, alone in the cold, somewhere along the Oregon Coast. After seeing reassurance to the others, she found herself staying by his side. Charlie had asked why at first when he first realized she was there.

"Because, if the situation was reversed, you would be there for myself or my brothers," she told him.

"What about Marcel?" Charlie asked, lifting a brow.

Rebekah had sighed at that. "Marcel understands. He is loyal to your sister after all, which means, to an extent, he's loyal to you. And I know he's loyal to me."

Charlie had given her a look, with the ghost of his old self in his eyes. "Got him on a short leash, Bekah?"

Rebekah smiled wryly at the memory.

Charlie turned away from the cold ocean, looking at her. His beard was overgrown, his hair tangled, reaching his shoulders. But there was a sort of peace in his eyes.

Rebekah met his gaze. "Time to go home," she said, rather than asked.

Charlie merely nodded, before following the Original vampire as she turned, and lead him back into the forests.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus found Anna sitting alone on the porch, her eyes lost in a thought. He reached out to her through the bond, seeing how she was thinking of her brother, since she thought of almost nothing else.

"Hello, love," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Anna sighed in response. When he moved to sit with her, she shifted so she could curl up in his lap while he took her seat. She burrowed her face into the nook between his chin and chest, nuzzling once, twice, before sighing again.

 _I'm tired, Klaus,_ she confessed quietly in their shared thoughts.

 _Do you want me to carry you upstairs for a lie down?_

 _That's not what I meant,_ she whispered back, shaking her head a little.

Klaus sighed now. He knew what she meant, but he also knew his mate was physically tired as well, since she had not slept through the night since her brother left.

Anna rested a hand over his heart. "I just wish I knew what to do," she murmured out loud. "Even if Sophie helps us..."

Klaus frowned. Anna had told him her little run in with the witch, which had enraged him at first, until she told him what the witch had said. Neither of them were foolish enough to trust her, but maybe they were foolish enough to believe she could banish the demon once and for all.

But Anna had not heard from Sophie since that day, and her thoughts were too wrapped with concern for her brother. Her heart ached for so many reasons it seemed.

A horrible discovery had been made before the funeral, which had driven Charlie into a near comatose state. He had collapsed within himself, driven past the peak of madness, into a storm of despair and agony.

Meredith had been pregnant when she was murdered. It was clear that Charlie did not know, none of them did, save for Hayley, who stated it was true. She had heard the baby's heartbeat, fluttering deep within Meredith's body, almost too quiet to detect. But Hayley recognized it, after Anna and the twins, she knew and that almost made it worse.

Now Charlie not only had to face the coming days with no fiancée, but he also had to live with the knowledge that that demon took both Meredith and his unborn child from him.

Klaus could imagine no greater pain.

"If she's true to her word, she will do what needs to be done," Klaus told Anna, holding her a little more tightly.

Suddenly, Anna pulled away from him, her hand braced tenderly against his chest. Her eyes flashed gold, and were pinned to the line of trees along the drive leading up to the mansion. Then she jumped from Klaus's lap, running full tilt into the woods.

Klaus blinked, then flashed after her. When he caught up, he relaxed.

Wrapped tightly in his sister's arms, home and safe, was Charlie. His beard was now trimmed and his hair cropped so it fell just to his ears.

Klaus looked at his sister, who looked rather pleased with herself. He stepped closer, placing an arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple gently. "Thank you for watching over him."

Rebekah smiled at him, leaning against his side. "That's what family's for, isn't it?"

Ooo0ooO

Elijah watched as his wife laid out on the rug in front of the fireplace, reading an old time that told the stories of her family, and its bloodline all the way back to the Davis'. Her hair was pulled into a sleek tail and her face was bare, and her green hazel eyes ran over the pages, catching the reflection of the flames in their depths.

He leaned back in the winged back chair, one hand holding a glass of whiskey. A question rolled around in his mind, something that had been lodged there ever since they had learned about Meredith and her child.

"Hayley?" he finally called, gathering his courage.

Hayley looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I was wondering... well, I've wondered for a while now... you see, I want to know if..."

Hayley's expression became patient and amused. She sat up before moving to sit on the armrest of the chair. She ran a hand through Elijah's hair.

His eyes glazed over at the sensation, but he cleared his throat. He looked up at her earnestly. "Did you ever want children?"

Hayley didn't miss the use of past tense. Of course, they both knew that they would never be able to conceive, not with him being a vampire and her being a werewolf. It had been different for Anna and Klaus, since Klaus had been a werewolf before he died and changed into a Hybrid. A small loophole, but significant enough to bring on the next generation of Hybrids.

Hayley exhaled, pursing her lips. "Honestly? No. I didn't know my own family and I never felt... like I'd make a good mother. I don't feel like a have a natural maternal instinct that someone like Anna has."

Elijah considered her. "I believe you would have surprised yourself."

Hayley smiled. "Maybe. But I like the idea of spending forever with just you, all to myself. Besides, Anna and Klaus might have more kids and maybe even Ch-," She broke off, pressing her lips together.

"It is a sad thing, how life can give us so much to love, yet take it away just as quickly," he murmured in understanding.

Hayley nodded, before sliding down into his lap. She played his the ends of his hair, still facing him. "Do you think he'll ever...?"

Elijah gazed into the fireplace. "I believe that when you're marked to live forever, life gives you more than one person to love. Doesn't matter who, or when, or how really, but when you go on living through centuries and centuries, you fall in love and out of love, and you lose love and are loved by so many. I believe Charlie will find someone else, if time permits."

"But he won't live forever," Hayley said. "Neither will I. Many for a century, or a little longer, but wolves don't live forever." Then she looked at him. "Will you-?"

"No," Elijah said immediately. "No." Of course he had considered how Hayley would not live as long as he, and the thought of losing her one day made his mind cloud and his heart ache.

But of course, it didn't have to stay that way, which Hayley and Charlie both knew. They could change their life, become Hybrids like Anna did, if they so choose. But that was it, it was their choice. No one else could force their hand in this.

Still, Elijah could hope...

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	13. Heathens

Chapter Twelve: Heathens

" _All my friends are heathens, take it slow_

 _Please don't make any sudden moves_

 _You don't know the half of the abuse..._

 _You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you_

 _You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you_

 _You'll think, "How did I get here sitting next to you?"_

 _But after all I've said, please don't forget..._

 _Why'd you come, you knew you should have stayed_

 _I tried to warn you just to stay away..._ "

-Twenty One Pilots

Ooo0ooO

Sophie Devereux sat shivering close to a fire that was quickly dying. Alone in the woods, she moved closer to the flames, wary of the shadows the fire casted.

Suddenly, the sound of a twig snapping had her gasping. She stiffened, her eyes wide, heart racing.

There was a distinctive growl, low and predatory, which came before the wolf emerged from the darkest shadows. Its gold eyes caught the flames and danced strangely, its coat nearly black in the low light. Only when it moved closer did Sophie recognize the chocolate brown wolf, along with the cold, angry look in its eyes.

"Anna," she managed to choke out.

The wolf growled again.

Then another appeared, smaller than the first, a twin in every sense, down to the look in its eyes.

"Anna?" Sophie tried again.

Anna shifted back, sitting down across from Sophie. Her eyes shifted back and forth between gold and gray, but Sophie couldn't tell if it was from her wolf or from the fire.

Sophie's gaze darted towards the other wolf, Anna's brother, nervously.

"Don't worry, Sophie, he won't bite. Not unless you give him a reason, that is," Anna said in a chilling tone.

Sophie swallowed and refocused her attention on the other woman, who she realized was much more of a threat than the massive wolf sitting next to her was. "How did you find me?"

"As someone who knows how to track people, especially people who _run away_ , it was easy. Besides, you didn't do a good job covering your tracks."

"I did what you wanted! I sent that demon back!" Sophie cried. "What more do you want?"

Anna and Charlie exchanged a silent look, and Sophie had a sinking feeling they were talking to each other without words. When Anna looked back at the witch, she cowered under her gaze.

"I don't think that's enough," Anna told her. "You know what you did, now you're going to pay. All I want is for you to be ready to come when I call. Easy, right? In exchange, I'll send two wolves to watch over you. Call it insurance."

"W-why?"

Anna bared her teeth. "Because despite what you might think, I'm not a monster. I don't destroy other people's lives for _power_. All I want is to be left alone to live my own eternity. Do we understand each other?"

Sophie nodded, shivering once more.

Anna frowned, moving to stand up before approaching the witch. She noted how Sophie cringed when she leaned close, then froze when Anna slipped a chain over her neck.

"This charm will protect you," Anna told her. "It will warn you when danger is close." Anna straightened, looking down at Sophie. "My wolves will be here at dawn. For now, I suggest you get some rest."

Anna began to walk away, with Charlie by her side, but then paused to look over her shoulder. "And Sophie? You better come when I call. Otherwise that charm won't do you any good when I come for you."

Sophie exhaled deeply when Anna and her brother melted back into the shadows. Scrubbing a hand over her face, she thought back to a week ago, when she had finally sent the demon back...

Ooo0ooO

 _ **Flashback**_

Sophie felt like she always had a pair of eyes on her. Usually it was a pair of pure black eyes, tied in with a sadistic smile that made her skin crawl.

Over the past few weeks she had been gathering the supplies she would need to perform the spell to break theven contract between herself and the demon. When the night of the full moon came, Sophie found herself in a clearing, naked apart from the ritual markings she had painted on herself.

A terrible keeping noise had erupted from the woods when she began chanting. The demon came forth but could only stalk along the edges of the protective circle Sophie was in. It spit and hissed, tearing at the barrier uselessly.

When Sophie finished the spell, the demon had been pulled from its host body, manifested in smoke and blood. Its true face revealed black eyes and rows of teeth and was something that the things of nightmares had nightmares about.

Stronger outside the host body, the demon had grabbed Sophie by her throat. It had snarled its own incantation, but then the two witches that Sophie had called on to help her had appeared.

As the spell dictated, the first part needed to be done by the one who summoned the creature, calling forth its true form, before the others would come to help send it back to hell. Together, Bennett and Bonnie had used their combined power and had torn the demon away from Sophie and had casted it back into the pit.

Sophie had been unconscious for days after the spell. Bonnie had been sent back to tell the others what had happened, while Bennett tended to the other witch.

When she finally woke up, Sophie realized something, and it was much worse than losing her soul. The demon had taken her power, draining her like a vampire drains a human of blood, leaving her a hollow shell of the witch she used to be.

Bennett claimed her powers would return if she immersed herself back into the magic of the earth, but Sophie had her doubts. Greatly weakened, she slipped away and ran, afraid of any shadow that moved.

It was only a few days before she had been found...

 ** _Flashback Ends_**

Ooo0ooO

Charlie shifted back as Anna and him left Sophie behind to tremble and cower in the dark. He glanced at her, noting her conflicted expression.

"What is it?" he asked her.

Anna frowned. "I should be happy the demon is gone. Sophie didn't go back on her word, and no one was hurt. And yet, it all seemed..."

"A little to easy?" Charlie finished, lifting a brow.

Anna nodded.

Charlie sighed. "A demon is one thing. _Fate_ is something else entirely. At least the demon was something tangible that we could make bleed. It's not like we can do that with fate or that prophecy."

Anna sighed. "It's never going to be over, is it?"

Charlie put an arm over his sister's shoulder. "Something like this won't last forever. It has to come to its own end eventually. It's a matter of where and when."

Anna looked up at him. "And when it does?"

Charlie shrugged. "We kick it in the ass."

Anna laughed, shaking her head at him. "You make it sound so simple."

"I'm an optimist," Charlie said dryly.

Anna snorted.

Ooo0ooO

William Davis sat across from his granddaughter, who held onto his great grandchildren, and frowned.

Anna stared back, her expression challenging.

Mason broke the silence. "Mama! Woof!"

Anna glanced out the window, where the rest of William's pack waited for him. Her gaze shifted back to him. "So, let me get this straight, you disappear and you only come back to tell me you can't _stay?_ "

William opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off.

"Where have you been anyway? We needed you! After Meredith..." Anna gritted her teeth. "I'm just trying to figure out why you came in the first place if you were just going to tuck tail and run."

"I'm not running, Anna," the older wolf growled.

"Sure seems like it," Anna muttered.

"I've been recruiting more wolves, up north. Those packs, they're old. Their blood is nearly as old as ours. They need to be persuaded... gently."

Anna glared. "Then why can't you call? Why do you just disappear for weeks and leave us wondering where the hell you've gone?"

"The less who know where I am, the safer you all are."

"We can protect each other!" Anna exclaimed. "We traveled together before, why is it different this time?"

"Because you have a duty to your children, your husband, and your own pack to stay _here_."

"Hayley can handle it! She's the one who's supposed to be the Crescent Wolf pack Alpha anyway, the bloodline dictates it!"

"Not while you're here. As a Davis, your blood trumphs hers. As long as you're here, _you're_ the Alpha."

Anna sat back. She barely noticed with the necklace she had taken from Klaus years back. "But Eve..."

William shook his head. "Eve is a traditionalist, but she does not know everything."

Anna frowned at that. "She's your sister in law, how is that possible?"

William avoided her gaze. "She used to be. Some things she chooses to forget."

"That's not the point and you know it," Anna argued.

"Anna, I will not keep having this discussion. You will remain here and I will take some of my wolves with me north. Two of them have been dispatched to guard your witch."

Anna recognized this was an argument she wasn't going to win. Sighing, she lifted her hands. "Fine. But keep me _posted_. If you're going to call me Alpha, you have to treat me like one."

"Fair enough."

Ooo0ooO

Anna figured the worse part about having a prophecy looming over your head was the _waiting_. As someone who had nothing but time to kill, she felt ready to tear down the walls with impatience.

Klaus could feel it all and sympathized with his mate. He was familiar with that feeling, having been around for over a thousand years. He watched as she paced the length of the parlor.

"So now what? Do we just wait until the twins are old enough? Is that what I'm supposed to do? Sit on my _ass?_ "

Klaus smiled, amused. "What a fine ass it is."

Anna glared so venomously, Klaus actually shrank back against the couch. "Not helping," she told him, pointing at him threateningly.

Klaus gave her an innocent look.

"I don't believe flirting is going to help you, brother," Elijah commented from the doorway.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Just because your marriage is bland-,"

Anna whirled on them both. "Enough, both of you! Honestly!"

Elijah winced. "My apologies."

When Klaus mimicked him, he was smacked in the head by a flying pillow. Enraged, Anna glared down at him.

"Sorry, love," Klaus murmured, lowering his gaze.

Anna exhaled deeply, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "What can I do now?"

Elijah walked over to his sister in law. He gave her that calm look that always seemed to relax her. "For now, we continue gathering our allies. We don't know when the prophecy will come to pass, true, but that doesn't mean we have to be unprepared."

Anna stared at him. "What about the witches? They're still gathering, even without the demon and their leader."

"Perhaps we could use that to our advantage," Klaus said, standing. He slid his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?"

Elijah seemed to understand where his brother was going with this. "You're suggesting we use Sophie?"

"Why not? She's a clever piece we have on our side now."

"For the most part," Anna reminded him grimly.

"If we keep our end of the bargain, she'll comply. After all, she's quite terrified of you, love. We protect her, as promised. In turn, she keeps..."

Finally, Anna caught on. "Acting the part," she finished.

Klaus nodded. "What do we have to lose? If she succeeds, then we end this fight. If not, she dies either way."

"We need a back up plan," Anna muttered, sitting down, her thoughts already racing.

"Well, then we will need this," Klaus said, lifting a decanter of whiskey.

Anna's expression deadpanned. "That's your solution for everything."

Klaus smirked. "And it hasn't led me astray once."

Rolling her eyes, Anna shook her head at her husband. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	14. May It Be

Chapter Thirteen: May It Be

" _May it be the shadow's call_

 _Will fly away_

 _May it be you journey on_

 _To light the day_

 _When the night is overcome_

 _You may rise to find the sun,_

 _Believe and you will find your way_

 _A promise lives within you now..._ "

-Enya

Ooo0ooO

As the next month bore on, every night that passed since Meredith's death was full of sorrow. The world seemed dimmer, heavier almost. It weighed on everyone differently, yet similarly with its grief.

And when the night came to usher in the remainder of the day, the halls echoed with the soft lullaby of a mother singing to her children. Within the nursery, Anna sang to her children, soothing away their fuss, lulling them into a deep sleep.

And her song was heard by everyone, a soothing sound, like water running in a brook or wind whispering through the trees. It was gentle and pure, allowing everyone to forgot that sadness, even if it was just for a moment.

Each night, Anna would sing the same songs to the twins. This brought comfort and familiarity, as they were both songs she knew and songs that were taught to her by others. She sang an Italian lullaby taught to her by Antonio, and a sweet song that Meredith had once said her own mother had sung to her when she was little. And lastly, Anna sang the song her own mother sang to her and Charlie, a song about the stars and the moon, and the wolves who sang the moon songs in its praise.

Charlie would sometimes watch as his sister sang his niece and nephew to sleep. Her voice reminded him of their mother's, and sometimes he swore she even looked like her. He found solace watching her rock the babies to sleep, even though they were slowly growing into the size of toddlers.

One night, Charlie went and sat on the floor of the nursery, taking Mason so he too could sing and lull his nephew to sleep. His voice melded well with his sister's, and together, they sang the song of wolves and moons.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus found himself reminiscing over the days already passed. He thought about the first time he saw his Anna, and all of their firsts together. He thought about how she was never afraid of him, how she made him laugh, how she was the truest ray of light in his dark, dark life.

He smiled when he thought about their first kiss, and chuckled when he remembered their first fight. He remembered the first time they made love, on Christmas, and how she gave him the Celtic knot ring he still wore on his right hand, next to his family ring. He had given her a painting and watched as delight crept across her features.

Then there was the day he asked her to be his forever, surrounded by hundreds of roses, in every color, because she would rather have color over the traditional red. He remembered the feeling that had lapsed over them both when he slid that sapphire ring onto her left finger, and how the bond was finally sealed when they got married.

He remembered when he first dreamed of her, a pale, beautiful angel with gray eyes. He loved her long before he actually touched her for the first time and he knew he always would, no matter how long _always_ lasted.

So he looked at her now, sleeping by his side quietly, as she had when she first came to him, and how he hoped she always would. They had both made that promise long ago, never to run and to never give up. Together, for better or worse.

He traced the pale marking on her left arm, the soul mark, which now, after all its transformations, looked like a faded bruise across her skin as well as his own. A forever sort of deal, more permanent than a tattoo could ever be. He was hers, and she was his.

He then traced a fingertip over the delicate curve of her hipbone, which was exposed. The blanket had slid down to reveal her naked skin, and he touched her now, reverently. He touched and traced her hips, which didn't jut out like they did when she was so thin. No, she was strong now.

These were the hips that bore his children, he mused. So delicate, yet strong, like everything about her.

Between her breasts laid the necklace he had willingly given to her years ago, dark iron against her pale skin. And with her sleeping on her side, he could see the one and only tattoo she had, nestled between her shoulder blades. The crest of her family, the sun and the moon and the wolf, all together. It seemed even that was proof enough that she was meant for him, a wolf turned Hybrid, destined to walk under the moon and the sun, both a wolf and a being.

Anna then sighed, pulling him from his romantic musings. She blinked and opened her eyes. They were deep gray, soft like the distant clouds, yet warm. They smiled at him even as she smiled, opening her arms once more to accept him into her embrace.

Ooo0ooO

Hayley leaned her chin on Elijah's chest, arm thrown over his middle, brow scrunched. She held a book in her left hand, which she scanned, even as her eyes dropped. She knew she should tell Elijah to stop playing with her hair, but it just felt _so good_.

"What do you remember about the Original werewolves?" she asked.

Elijah's chest rose and fell with his sigh. "Not very much. I was human back then, and after we were turned, I never saw any of them again."

Hayley looked away from her book. Her hazel eyes fixed on him. "What do you remember about being human?"

Elijah's gaze unfoucsed. "I remember... I remember playing with my brothers and sisters. I remember laughing. Mikael was not an easy man, but I remember we were _happy_. Or at least, so I thought."

"That's it?" Hayley asked. "No memories of pretty girls? No hummingbirds?"

Elijah gave his wife an amused look. "No, I never had a moment quite like Klaus did. I suppose, if I did have to choose a memory that has always stayed with me..." He paused. "But if you want to know a memory about a pretty girl-,"

He wheeled when Hayley elbowed his side, her lips twitching.

Elijah kissed her forehead. "No, I know which one. It does involve wolves though."

Hayley sat up, putting the book aside.

Elijah smiled a little. "It was after I was turned, maybe five years after. I went off on my own for a few weeks, to try to learn to control my vampire nature. I disappeared deep into the Himalayan mountains. On the night of the full moon, I heard a chorus of wolves howling. I followed the sound, wanting to see if they were like the monsters that tore my youngest brother apart.

So I found them, deep in the valley between the mountain pass. It was a very large pack, all sitting in the snow, eyes looking up. You see, there was a meteor shower that night. With us being so high up and the sky being clear... it was beautiful. Thousands of stars, of broken rock, showered across the sky and the moon sat high and full in the sky, larger than I had ever seen it.

So the wolves began to howl again, yet it was not the usual wolf howl. No, these were werewolves and they were... singing. It was indescribable. I remember feeling so at peace, even amongst the creatures I was raised to hate, who I thought I was always supposed to hate."

"That changed your mind about us?" Hayley asked softly.

Elijah smiled again. "That, and a pretty girl," he murmured, gently pulling her hair.

Ooo0ooO

It took another three months for all of them to wake up without feeling as heavy as they did when they had closed their eyes the night before.

Anna, being the head of the house, woke up and went downstairs to fix a large breakfast. With the help of Bennett and a few charms, the air was cleansed of all sad and negative thoughts, even if it only temporary.

And being the Alpha, Anna sent word for Sophie Devereux, asking for her wolves to bring the witch here in one piece.

When her family joined her in the dining room, all of them still dressed in comfortable clothing they wore to bed, they all stared at the breakfast that she had waiting for them.

"When did we turn into a small country?" Charlie asked, eyeing the stack of waffles and pancakes warily.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Sit. Shut up. Eat."

"Sir, yes sir," Hayley murmured, plopping down right away.

There were two blonde blurs, and suddenly the twins were clinging to their father's leg. Hope giggled and Mason gasped when he saw the pancakes, a favorite of his.

"Daddy!" Hope cried, lifting her arms so he would pick her up.

Mason, on the other hand, was already scrambling into the chair next to his mother. His eyes were greedy with glee as Anna patiently piled on food onto his plate.

"Thanks, Mommy!" he chirped before digging in with as much relish as his uncle, who sat next to him, eating waffles with equal gusto.

Ooo0ooO

It seemed that no matter how happy the day might have been, the night had its way of stealing away those good feelings. That night was when the new moon left the sky darker than usual, leaving faded shadows left behind by starlight.

Anna was woken by her daughter's cry, which called for her before she also cried for her father. Klaus was up in a moment, exchanging a concerned look with Anna.

Hope was awake and sitting in the middle of her bed, curled into herself. Having graduated from a crib, her and Mason had their own beds set on opposite ends of the shared room. Mason, however, was sitting next to his sister when their parents walked in.

Anna sat down next to Hope, gently rubbing her back. "What's wrong?"

Hope looked up, eyes wide, looking at her father.

So Anna moved to put Mason on her lap so Klaus could take the spot she vacated.

"Bad dream, my little girl?" Klaus asked softly, drawing her to his chest.

Hope nodded, obviously upset.

Anna closed her eyes briefly. Her children, still so young, already looked like they were three or four years old. It seemed every time she looked at them, they had grown even more. She knew their growing would be accelerated, but she supposed she had hoped they would prove their speculation wrong.

Anna released a silent breath, pressing her cheek against her son's hair. She spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over to see Charlie standing at the doorway. Noticing her brother's troubled expression, she stood up with Mason propped against her hip, and walked over to him.

"She's here," Charlie said.

Anna didn't have to ask who he meant. Silently, she passed her son to his uncle, and casted a final look at her daughter and husband. They seemed to be deep in conversation, silently whispering to one another, so she walked out of the room quietly.

Ooo0ooO

William watched as two of Annabelle's wolves escorted the witch known as Sophie Devereux into the mansion. Sitting silently on the lounge chair, he waited for Anna to join them.

When she rounded the corner, she stopped when she saw him. "You're back," she said, but her tone held her questions.

William stood, placing his hands behind his back. "My pack and I got back about an hour ago, just in time to see the wolves bring in the witch."

"And the northern packs?"

William glanced at her. "The wolves they can spare will arrive in the morning."

Anna seemed to relax a little. Then she focused her attention on the wolves standing in the other room, flanking Sophie.

The witch looked pale and thin, and her eyes darted everywhere. When they landed on Anna, she seemed to shrink back.

Anna, who was more worried about her distraught daughter than the witch, sighed. She walked over to the witch and nodded to the wolves. "Thank you for fetching her," she told them. "Go get some rest."

The wolves nodded before exiting the house.

Anna looked at Sophie, noting her gaunt appearance. "Tea?"

Sophie gave her a startled look. "What?"

Anna walked into the kitchen, waiting for Sophie to follow her. She filled up the kettle with water and set it on the stove. "You look like death warmed over," she told Sophie.

Sophie grimaced, sitting down. "Thanks," she muttered.

When the tea was ready, Anna set a cup in front of Sophie before pushing over some of Charlie's leftover Chinese food from the previous night her way.

At Sophie's lifted brow, Anna rolled her eyes. "You need it more than my brother does."

And once the witch had her full, she sat back with a suspicious look on her face. "Why did you send for me?"

Anna sat down across from her, folding her hands in front of her. "I want to talk about the prophecy."

"What about it?"

Anna met Sophie's gaze. "Is there really no way to stop it?"

Sophie's expression sombered. "No," the witch said, sighing. "There's no power strong enough to do that."

"Do you know when it will happen?"

Sophie shrugged. "These things are never clear. They don't come with instructions or rules on how they go down... they just do."

Anna's eyes hardened. "So I'm supposed to just sit around and wait?"

"It's not that simple. Prophecies... they might say one thing, but mean something completely different. It's how fate works."

"So my children might not become killers?" Anna asked incredulously.

"I didn't say that," Sophie said. "I'm just saying when the prophecy says the twins are destined to end the vampire race, don't take it at face value."

"What do you mean?" Anna snapped, irritated.

Sophie leaned forward. "Anna, a prophecy of this magnitude isn't something that just happens. Your children are the first Hybrid children to be born."

"But Bennett-,"

Sophie waved her off. "Bennett is a born werewolf who practices the art. Hope and Mason were born with magic in their blood. They're not just a vampire werewolf Hybrid like Klaus or you, they're also part witch. Don't you get it? Their blood has the ability to change any wolf into a Hybrid without the blood of a doppelganger. Didn't you wonder how you turned without Elena Gilbert's blood? The twin's blood was already in you, a part of you. They are capable of becoming very powerful."

"But that doesn't mean they _will_ bring death and destruction," Anna surmised.

Sophie nodded. "Meeting your fate is based on what choices you make. It's their choice, Anna. It's nothing you or I can control. You can merely... push them in the right direction."

"What about my dreams?"

"Those are troublesome," Sophie admitted. "It's clear that through the soul bond, you are able to see glimpses of what might be. Premonitions of the future. That's how you saw Klaus before you even met. Now it's your children."

Anna paused, her gut churning. "It's not... both of them," she said softly.

Sophie gave her a questioning look.

Anna sighed. "In my dreams, it's... Hope. Not Mason. Hope is the one who kills..." Anna's throat constricted, her mind flashing to the image of Klaus pinned to a tree by a white oak stake.

" _Long live the King_."

"Do you believe your daughter is capable of becoming the person you see in these dreams?" Sophie asked.

Anna stared down at her hands, unable to answer.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	15. Surrender

Chapter Fourteen: Surrender

" _We let the waters rise_

 _We drifted to survive_

 _I needed you to stay_

 _But I let you drift away,_

 _My love, where are you?_

 _My love, where are you?_

 _Can we, can we surrender?_

 _I surrender..._ "

-Natalie Taylor

Ooo0ooO

A pleasant surprise was waiting for Annabelle when she woke up the following morning. On top of the northern packs sending their wolves, who waited for her outside the mansion, a trio of familiar looking wolves stood at the front.

Anna's face split with a wide grin and a surprised, pleased shout passed her lips. She dashed to them, throwing her arms first around the slender female waiting for her with open arms.

"Marie! Leo! Donovan!" Anna exclaimed after hugging them all tightly. She still kept one hand clasped in Marie's, while the other gently rested on Donovan's arm. "What are you doing here?"

It had been months since she had seen them all, not since her and Klaus had been to Italy for their honeymoon. She didn't realize how much she had missed them until now.

"We made you a promise, yes?" Leo asked pleasantly. "We came back we got a call that you might need our help."

Anna's brows scrunched. "But I didn't-,"

"I called them."

Anna turned to see Antonio smiling warmly at her.

The older werewolf moved to her side, placing a wrinkled hand on her shoulder. "And I imagine you needed to see a friendly face or three."

Anna gave him a thankful smile. "Very much so," she agreed.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus watched as Anna walked beside Donovan, head tilted towards him as they made their way down the gravel path that led away into the woods. He could feel her happiness from where he stood, and it felt like warm waves washing over his being.

Beside him stood Elijah, who too noticed how Anna was eager to catch up with the Irish werewolf she had taken to.

"It was smart of Antonio to call them," Elijah commented.

Klaus glanced at his older brother.

"She needs the distraction," Elijah elaborated. "Her mind seems very clouded with the witches and wolves. She needs a friend."

"She has friends here," Klaus said.

Elijah gave him an understanding look. "Someone who isn't so... involved. Besides, most of the people here are more like family than friends. It's different."

Klaus nodded thoughtfully.

Hayley popped her head into the room, Mason on one hip and Hope on the other. "You two done spying on Anna?"

The brothers turned and each gave her an amused look.

Hayley walked over, passing Klaus his daughter without a word. She met his gaze briefly before adjusting Mason in her arms. "They're getting too big to hold," she told him.

Klaus glanced at his daughter and son. Indeed, they were barely a year and a half old, but they looked more like four year olds. It was rather startling, seeing he could still remember the moment he first heard their small heartbeats within Anna's body.

Hope rested her cheek on her father's shoulder. "Daddy hold me," she said stubbornly, eyes narrowed at her aunt.

Hayley merely lifted a brow. "Your dad spoils you."

Mason giggled at that, before pulling Hayley's hair. "Pretty."

Hayley gently pulled her hair from his chubby fist. "Yes, pretty. Let's keep it on my head, okay?"

"Okay," Mason chirped happily.

Ooo0ooO

"You look good," Anna mentioned, walking with Donovan down the familiar path to the river.

The red haired werewolf smiled. "So do you, Anna," he said. "Your children look like you."

Anna laughed. "Well, I think they take after their father."

Donovan slipped his hands in his pockets. "So I hear you're in quite a situation."

"Yeah," Anna laughed, which sounded bitter. "It doesn't seem that long ago it was just me and my brother and now..."

"You have a rather large family," Donovan concluded.

Anna smiled. "Yeah, I do. And I love them all so, so much."

Donovan glanced at her. "But?"

Anna's eyes casted downwards. "We've already lost so much. Klaus lost his brother, Kol, and Charlie lost Meredith. And I can't help but wonder if I had just done something different if none of that would have happened."

They both stopped on the banks of the river, listening as the water ran through the rocks and the smell of the trees and wildflowers swept over them.

"You know what I think?" Donovan asked. "I think you're too busy looking at all the bad to see all the good."

Anna frowned. "It's hard to see the good when the bad is _this_ bad."

"I can only imagine. But Anna, look at your family. Your children are... they're going to be legends. You are reunited with your grandfather and with his help, you have the support of the oldest packs known today. Your husband is nothing like the monster he was once called, and he loves you. Your cousin is a leader in the making and will take her rightful place as Alpha of the Crescent Wolf pack when her time comes, and her own husband will support her. Your friendship with Marcel has been mended, so you have the support of the vampires. No one has ever accomplished what you have, my friend."

"But if I can do what I've done, what am I supposed to do next? How am I supposed to protect them all, my children, from a witch's prophecy?"

"Some things are outside of our control," Donovan told her. "If I were you, I'd use all of the resources I had to keep helping your family. Keep them safe. That's all you can do right now. The rest... well, as they say, the rest will figure itself out."

Ooo0ooO

Later that night, Anna sat at the head of the dining room table. To her right sat Klaus, and to her left was William. Sitting at the other end was Sophie, Marcel, and Eve. The other seats were occupied by Charlie, Hayley, Elijah, Rebekah, Antonio, and Bennett.

"I've had a vision," Sophie said. "And Davina has had the same one. The prophecy is in motion, and there's no stopping it. The witches are gathering their forces and are planning to strike. Sides are being drawn once more, and most want to see the twin's demise before they can become the monsters believed to end the vampire race.

In my vision, I saw the twins, not as they are now, but as they will be. Perhaps sixteen, maybe older. They've been corrupted by the power they posses, not just their vampire werewolf Hybrid nature, but the witch's power they will also weild. They will rise up to lead the witches and together, they will set out to turn every last vampire into Hybrids. They will sire enough to then take control of the werewolves, and then, they will set their sights on the humans.

As we know, the twins are growing very quickly. Davina and I have agreed this prophecy will come to pass and we believe we know when."

"When?" Klaus asked, his expression dark.

Sophie folded her hands in front of her. "Four years from now, on the eve of the first blood moon of the year."

Hayley was the first to look at Anna, noting her pale cheeks and dark eyes. The air around the female Hybrid was heavy, clouded with mixed, uncertain emotions. She briefly wished she too had a mental link with her, so she could give her some words of encouragement. But then she looked at Klaus, whose brow was furrowed, and knew he was doing exactly that.

Charlie's thoughts were echoing Hayley's unknowingly. He too sat with a heavy heart and wondered when this all got so out of control. Of all the things they had faced, Charlie knew this was going to be the hardest thing he and his sister would go through. So he sat up straight, knowing he would have to be strong, for her and for their family.

 _We will get through this_ , Klaus told Anna, whispering through their soul bond.

Anna's eyes snapped towards his. _How?_

 _They're our children, my Anna. If you can change someone as hopeless as me, we can get through this as well._

She reached out, taking his hand in hers. _You were never hopeless._

Klaus smiled at that. _And neither is this._

 _Four years, Klaus. How are we supposed to get through that? Knowing what we do?_

Klaus sighed. _The future has many paths, and some cannot be evaded. It seems no matter what, this prophecy will come to pass. But remember what Sophie said, the prophecy cannot be taken at face value. Perhaps there's hope there._

Anna went quiet at that last sentence. Yes, maybe there was hope. But she couldn't help but think of the cruel irony in all of that...

Not when it was her daughter that was catalyst behind this.

Ooo0ooO

It was the middle of the night when Anna slipped quietly into the twin's room. She wasn't surprised to see Mason cuddled in his sister's bed, both of them sleeping quietly.

She sat down, looking down at them both. Her heart ached with the love she felt for them both. Her daughter, who was already so much like her father, and her sweet son, who reminded her of Charlie.

Running a hand over Hope's hair, she leaned down and kissed her cheek. She kissed Mason too, holding them briefly.

 _I hope you know how much I love you both_ , she told them both, silently within her mind.

"My sweet girl," she murmured, tucking the blanket under Hope's chin so she wouldn't get cold.

Then she stood, walking from the room, closing the door quietly.

Hope then sat up, eyeing the closed door. She rubbed a hand over her cheek, right where her mother had kissed her.

Mason, sensing that his sister was awake, opened his eyes. "Hope?"

Hope didn't reply, but kept eyeing where her mother had gone with an odd expression.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus was waiting for Annabelle when she slipped back inside their room. He was sitting in one of the large, over stuffed chairs, drinking a cup of cooling tea.

"Hello, love," he said softly.

Anna exhaled deeply before moving across the room. She sat down in his lap, tucking herself under his chin. She plucked at his shirt front with sharp motions.

"Are the twins sleeping all right?"

Anna nodded. "Mason is with Hope."

Klaus chuckled. "He is very protective of her." He reached up, smoothing the curls away from Anna's face. "Much like your brother."

"Mmm."

Klaus pressed his lips to her forehead. "My Anna. Always so troubled. Must you carry this burden so?"

"Who else will if I don't?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

"All of us," Klaus said simply. "It's not just you or I this prophecy will effect, my love. Stop acting as though you are alone in this. Don't isolate yourself, from me or the rest of them."

"Is that what I've been doing?"

Klaus gave her a gentle smile. "It's what I would have done, not too long ago. But you come into my life and reminded me that fate doesn't always go along with our plans. You taught me that no matter how bad things were, I was never alone. It's the same thing now." Klaus ran his knuckles down her cheek. "Let me help you. Let us all help you."

Anna's brows furrowed. "I didn't mean..."

"I know," Klaus said. "But right now, we need to enjoy what we have, and that's each other. The rest will... figure itself out."

Anna looked at him, realizing she had already heard those exact words earlier. So she sighed, and leaned her head on her mate's shoulder. "I'm not not going to fight this."

Klaus chuckled once more. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't, my Anna."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	16. A Call to Arms

Chapter Fifteen: A Call to Arms

" _My love, the drums are calling_

 _A red sky, a warning_

 _No sense in hiding from the front lines_

 _It's been here the whole time,_

 _This is a call to arms_

 _Will you embrace me_

 _Before it's too late, baby?_ "

-Laura Jansen

Ooo0ooO

 _Blood. She could only smell blood._

 _The air carried a chill, which slipped down her spine like an icy finger._

 _She could hear the wolves snarling in the shadows, but she couldn't see them._

 _But her eyes fell on that figure, staked to a oak tree, covered in blood, like Christ on the cross._

 _Annabelle never believed in God, and if she did, she would have felt He had abandoned her in that moment. Because there, right in front of her, was her other half, her soul, pinned to that forsaken tree like some sort of sacrifice._

 _Hadn't she sacrificed enough? Hadn't she been strong?_

 _Her hand extended out on its own accord, reaching to touch the cold cheek of her mate, her Niklaus. Some distant voice in her mind remembered how a staked vampire truly looked, with images of Kol Mikaelson's burned body echoing through her thoughts._

 _But her heart hurt, it ached, and felt so cold. It was as though it had stopped beating the moment that stake had pierced Klaus's heart._

 _It's a dream! another voice told her, in a scolding tone that reminded Anna of someone._

 _Another shiver escaped her when she felt cool breath against her ear, and the warmth of a body press up against her side. Her body recognized the other person, but still her knees nearly gave at the sight of her beautiful daughter standing in front of her._

 _Hope Mikaelson looked much older than she truly did. Her eyes held a certain coldness that seemed out of place in her deep blue eyes and pretty features. And the blood that stained her hands and clothes smelled familiar..._

 _Then she leaned close, ready to whisper the words Anna kept hearing every night when she closed her eyes..._

Annabelle woke with a gasp. She sat up, then immediately turned.

Klaus slept quietly beside her, warm and whole, as he had been for years now.

So Anna leaned back down, reaching out to touch that soft, warm cheek like she had in her dream. The now familiar sensation of despair clawed at her throat.

Two years.

That's how long she had been having those dreams. Two years since she had gathered together the wolves and the vampires, two years since she had finally accepted what was meant to be with the promise of fighting for those she loved.

" _I'm not not going to fight_ ," she had told Klaus.

" _You won't be you if you didn't_ ," he had told her in turn.

Anna closed her eyes only briefly.

Two years.

With a sigh, she got out of bed and made her way to the window to overlook the woods, which seemed to bring her some peace of mind.

Ooo0ooO

Even though two years had passed, time had only touched a few in the growing family that Anna and Klaus shared. The most noticeable were the twins, who had grown in leaps and bounds.

Although they had been born four years ago, they looked doubled their age, as they would until they reached maturity.

Another one who felt the time moreso than the vampires or Hybrids was Charlie. Werewolves aged more slowly, but they still aged. Although he didn't look older, Charlie felt older. Part of him blamed it on the way Meredith's death had taken its toll, but the other part was watching his niece and nephew grow up without knowing for certain what their future held.

Perhaps it was unfair of Charlie to think that way, but he knew it weighed on him just as much as it did on his sister. She tried fighting the effects by growing out her hair long again, so it waved down past her shoulder blades. She threw her attention into the twins and into being a leader towards the wolves and vampires.

Time had allowed for the two groups of supernatural creatures to learn how to coexist under Anna's gentle yet firm hand. As a Hybrid, she represented both parties equally, and she strived to lead that way as well- equally.

Klaus had taken a step back, allowing his mate to develop in a role she seemed to be born for. It was not unusual, even in the wild, the female Alpha was more of the figure head of the pack than the male. So he provided her with the quiet strength and constant support she needed.

With the help of Marcel, Bennett, and William, a new community blossomed in the French Quarter. The wolves were no longer banned from the town, and a peaceful neighborhood branched out to the vampires, the wolves, and even the remaining witches, and of course, the humans.

This was something Charlie believed would help the twins as they were guided down the path that would eventually lead to the unfolding of the witch's prophecy. Growing up here, in a community that had undergone great change, allowed for their perspectives of the different communities to not he seen as divided, but as united.

Charlie hoped it would be enough to allow them a different choice when the prophecy came to be.

Ooo0ooO

"I sleep to keep my mind at ease

I wander through a dream

Of what I once believed

No rest until we face the truth

And draw it to the light..."

The music drifted through the house, a soft background to the hustle going on in each room.

In the drawing room, Klaus quietly worked on his latest painting. He used his brush to paint delicate strokes on deep, rich green across the canvas.

"Daddy!"

Klaus winced at the loud yell. "No need to shout, love," he said evenly.

There was a flash of blonde curls, then Hope stood in front of him. The young Hybrid looked like the human equivalent of an eight year old, with dark blond hair and blue eyes like her father. She gave him a mischievous smile, which also rivaled his own.

"What are you doing, Daddy?"

"Daddy is working, my beautiful princess," Klaus said, turning his gaze towards his daughter. "Why were you shouting?"

Hope shrugged. She studied some of Klaus's sketches. "I thought you were outside with Uncle Charlie."

"Where's your brother?"

Hope rocked back on the heels of her bare feet. "He's with Uncle Bennett in the living room."

"Working on his magic?" Klaus asked as he selected another brush.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Reading."

Klaus smiled. "And your mother?"

"Crying."

Klaus froze, then looked at his daughter. "Crying?"

Hope blinked up at him. "Can't you feel her?"

Ooo0ooO

Klaus found Anna kneeling on one of the spare rooms, which was torn apart. Claw marks dug across the walls, the furniture was smashed, and the carpet was speckled with blood.

Anna looked up a little when she sensed him behind her. "Hello, love," she whispered in a broken, watery tone.

Klaus moved so he could kneel in front of her. His thumbs brushed across her cheeks, which were wet with tears. "Anna, what happened?"

Anna's lips quivered and she shook her head. "T-the wolves... they're..." She drew in a shaky breath. "We lost half of the pack."

Klaus looked at her in a shock. Looking into her eyes, he gently used their bond to see into her thoughts and memories.

 _Crows were already circling when she found the bodies._

 _They were scattered across one of the meadows, their blood soaking deep into the ground. Some were burned, others had cut throats..._

 _And all she could feel was the residual magic, which left a heavy, metallic feel in the air._

 _Bennett and Bonnie had gone with her, sensing the sudden burst of magic nearby. Bennett offered a silent prayer, while Bonnie felt the air, trying to figure out how many witches had been there._

"I felt them," Anna whispered as she shivered. "I felt them all die. I was their Alpha, I was supposed to protect them, and then-," She broke off on a sob.

"Anna," Klaus breathed, pulling her against his chest.

"It was a sacrifice," she told him, pulling away, gripping his hand tightly. "It's starting. They're making a move and this is them showing us how strong they are."

"They won't take our children," Klaus said, growling through his teeth.

Anna met his gaze. Her eyes held a strange metallic glow, that shade between gray and gold. Black veins bled down her face like tears and her lips peeled back to reveal her sharp teeth.

Then he felt it, that sadness overcome by rage. Is this what Hope felt? He knew that the soul bond he and Anna had shared also touched their children, so they could sometimes feel what the other was feeling... but this... this was something he had never felt inside her before.

But inside him? He knew what this was. He remembered feeling this long before he met Anna, when his father was working on hunting down Klaus and his siblings.

It was a feeling of bitter revenge, of chasing down the thing you believed you could kill in order to make your life better, to make you feel better.

Klaus cupped her cheeks. "Anna, listen to me. Don't choose this path. You were barely able to steer me away. Don't make my mistakes, my love."

Anna trembled, her eyes changing colors again. "Then what am I supposed to choose?"

"Mommy?"

Anna and Klaus froze at the sound of Mason's voice. He stood at the doorway to the room, with Hope peering over his shoulder.

Anna's eyes then softened, darkening to gray. "Hello, my loves."

Mason dashed forward, hugging his mother tightly. Hope approached more slowly, then pulled a tissue from the pocket of her dress. She gently dabbed Anna's tears from her eyes.

"Don't cry, Momma," Hope said. "More wolves will come."

Anna merely stared at her daughter. Then she exhaled deeply, pulling Hope into her embrace as well. She nuzzled her daughter's curls.

"We can help, Momma," Hope told her.

"Yeah, we can learn how to shift like you and Dad!" Masson said. "Then we can be part of the pack."

Anna laughed. She touched his cheek. "You are part of the pack, both of you," she told them. "And you will learn how to shift when the time is right."

Hope met her gaze. "The wolves say you have to kill someone to shift."

Anna looked at Klaus.

He sighed, turning his daughter so she would face him. "You shouldn't believe everything the wolves tell you. Remember, you're not just wolves. You are going to become something much more, perhaps even more than what people believe. It's your choice."

"I choose to be like you, Daddy," Hope told him, touching his cheek.

Klaus felt an odd chill at those words. "Perhaps, my little wolf, you should choose to be just you."

Hope smiled, then nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

Anna then stood, taking Mason's hand. "Come on. Let's go for a walk."

Ooo0ooO

The moon hung high in the sky as the cool wind whispered through the trees.

Nestled in one of those trees was Anna, who was staring up at the moon, which nearly sat full. She leaned against the trunk, glancing down at the river. The dark water rippled under the moonlight, distorting its reflection.

On her lap was Hope, who was nestled against her mother's chest. Hope dozed lightly, her soft breath warming Anna's collarbone.

Klaus and Mason had both returned to the mansion some time ago, but Hope had asked to stay with Anna, who wanted to stay out of the house for a little while longer. Anna had taken her back to the river, since its familiarity was always comforting for her.

Anna sighed, gently playing with the ends of Hope's curls. For once she didn't reflect on the past, and all the memories that had happened here. Instead, she allowed herself to imagine the future, where the prophecy wouldn't come to be.

She closed her eyes and pictured her children playing in the river, then lying on the grassy banks, laughing. She saw them growing up here, and becoming the leaders they were meant to be. She saw them finally uniting the three supernatural races, ushering in an era of peace and unity. She saw them going off to explore the world, because the world was so much larger than just these trees, and this river.

And that, she decided, would be what she held onto going forward. Even if the prophecy was set in motion, and even if there was no stopping it, there would always be the hope that one day perhaps thy later future could still come to pass.

Anna smiled at that. After all, that was what her daughter was named for.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	17. She Loves You

Chapter Sixteen: She Loves You

" _And if all was well_

 _And your heart could find the words_  
 _Would we be for better baby_  
 _Would we be for worse_  
 _And if there was a way_  
 _To navigate your seas_  
 _If tonight my true love_

 _Did belong to me..._ "

-The Gaslight Anthem

Ooo0ooO

A small pack of werewolves ran in a line though the forests surrounding Mystic Falls. Lead by the gray Alpha, they tracked an ever fading scent trail.

The wolf who ran behind the Alpha sped up before nipping at him sharply. The timber wolf barely blinked when the Alpha snarled at her.

Klaus shifted back, glaring.

Hayley shifted back as well, arching a brow at him.

The others, Charlie, Bennett, and Patrick, shifted back and eyed the two uneasily. Charlie stepped forward, ready to keep the peace.

"There's no fresh trail," Hayley said, breaking the tension.

"There won't be one to find if we stand here and keep talking," Klaus growled.

"Come on, Klaus. The witches are gone. They know how to hide themselves."

Klaus exhaled sharply.

Charlie stood next to him, resting a hand on his brother in law's shoulder. "She's right. We'll figure something else out."

Klaus glanced towards Patrick and Bennett, who also nodded in agreement. They had been chasing this trail for days, and they were all tired.

Klaus closed his eyes briefly, and reached out in his mind, tracing the silver and gold bond between him and his mate.

There was a soft response, like the plucking of a violin string, which reverberated deep inside Klaus. The message was simple.

Come home.

Ooo0ooO

When Klaus walked back inside the mansion, having parted ways with the others upon their return, silence reached his ears. There was no sign of the twins, or any other members of the family or pack.

Klaus walked up the stairs, following his natural instinct that lead him to his Anna. He opened the door to their rooms, and came across a pretty sight.

Anna was clearly getting dressed, with her hair pinned up, and robe slipping off her shoulders. He could see the curve of her breast peaking through, encased in pink lace.

Her gaze lifted when she sensed his presence. Her gray eyes were soft and warm, like clouds in the winter sky. She smiled. "Are you just going to stand there and stare?" she inquired teasingly.

Klaus smirked. "I do love looking at you, my Anna."

Anna straightened, then lifted a hand. "Do more than look."

Klaus was in front of her within a second, his warm hands gripping her hips. "The twins?" he rasped.

"Out shopping with Aunt Rebekah," Anna told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "An empty house... whatever shall we do?"

Klaus gave her a devilish grin. "I have a few ideas."

There was a blur of movement, then Anna found herself bouncing on the bed, laughing before Klaus crawled up the length of her bpdy, pinning her down.

Her eyes stayed gray, and her chin tilted up, offering him her lips.

Klaus lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply, hungrily. Then he pulled the robe away from her, leaving her in that pink lace. He growled at the sight of her, all soft and pink, and _his_.

Klaus bit down on the juncture between her neck and shoulder, causing her to cry out. He snarled when he felt her hands move up to grip his back, and he had her pinned down again, her hands above her head.

Anna quivered beneath him, letting him take control. Her eyes wanted to drift close, but she kept them open and on his instead.

Klaus' teeth released her flesh, leaving behind a dark love bite. He then moved south, towards her breasts. His teeth grazed over the lace, tugging at her nipple.

Anna cried out, arching her back. Her hips moved against his, trying to find some relief from the building tension between her legs.

Klaus bucked against her in response, his hard length pressing against her clothed crotch. He released her hands, which moved to grip the iron bars on the headrest.

With sharp, quick movements, Klaus removed the scraps of lace from her, throwing them over the bed. He stared down at her, bare beneath his golden gaze. "Mine," he growled.

"Yours," Anna breathed.

Klaus then descended between her thighs, holding down her hips when they rolled forward in anticipation. He lavished wet, open mouthed kisses to her inner thighs, before his fingers spread her damp folds slowly, like a flower unfurling.

Another cry echoed around the room when he gave her a slow, long lick. The tip of his tongue traced her now swollen clit, before dipping within her warm channel.

"Don't tease!" Anna beseeched, pressing the heels of her feet into his back.

Klaus chuckled darkly. "No teasing."

Then he swooped down, his tongue buried inside her, while his thumb rubbed her clit. His fingers then took the place of his tongue, giving her the friction she desired. And when he grazed his teeth over her clit gently, Anna climaxed, chanting his name as her walls pulsed around his fingers and her body stiffened.

As she relaxed, Klaus then divested himself from his clothes, needing desperately to be inside her now.

Anna groaned when he slipped inside her, her body warm, wet, and willing. Her legs locked around his hips, her own tilting forward to meet his.

Klaus sank his teeth on her neck again, then began thrusting inside her without abandon. One hand moved to grip her hip, tilting them up so he could hit that sweet spot within her that made her lose control.

His mate gasped and moaned out his name again, her eyes now as dark as storm clouds. Her skin was beaded with sweat, which he licked off her neck and chest.

When her body began to tighten again, Klaus snapped his hips forward, then gripped hers with both hands. He drove inside her in short, fast thrusts, pushing them both towards their release.

Anna groaned, her walls contracting as another orgasm washed over her. Klaus followed, bucking against her again and again before throwing back his head andown shouting his mate's name.

Ooo0ooO

Anna laid underneath Klaus, feeling boneless and very, very relaxed. Her eyes were now closed, and her fingers played with his hair as his cheek rested between her breasts.

Klaus gave a satisfied sigh, his arms now wrapped around her small waist. He pressed a kiss to her chest, nuzzling a nipple.

Anna laughed when she felt him harden against her thigh. "You're insatiable."

Klaus nuzzled her again, then parted her thigh with his own. Then he slid inside her slowly, his fingers tightening against her skin at the sensation. When he felt her heels press into his buttocks, pushing him more deeply inside her, he smirked. "As are you, my Anna."

After another round, they laid side by side, facing each other.

Anna blinked slowly, her eyes drooping as Klaus gently played with a stray curl.

"Where were you off to when I came back?" Klaus asked.

"I was going to meet with Marcel," she said, then yawned. "I guess he'll understand why I didn't show up."

"What were you going to discuss?"

Anna sighed, tucking a hand under her cheek. "Protective measures for the community. If the witches are going to start attacking again, we have to protect everyone."

Klaus smiled. "You have a big heart, Anna. Do you think you can keep them safe?"

"I have to try," Anna said, her eyes now determined. "I'm the Alpha, it's my duty."

"To your pack, perhaps-,"

Anna sat up, shaking her head. "My pack isn't just the wolves anymore. I'm a Hybrid. My pack is now the vampires, even the witches too. Or, at least, the ones on our side. The vampires are a part of you and me-," she touched her chest, then his, "and the witch's magic is what brought us together, and is a part of our children. I'm not going to live by these biases anymore."

Klaus sat up slowly. His eyes were dark when he touched her cheek softly, but he did smile when she leaned into his touch. "If anyone can dissolve the lines, it's you."

"And you," Anna said, taking her hand in his. "We are a team. You're my mate, and I'm yours, always. We can do this together, and maybe one day we can build a new Quarter where we can all live in peace."

Klaus leaned forward, kissing her reverently. "Anything you wish, love."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Nothing like a short, smutty chapter to break up all the seriousness, right?**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


	18. Bird

Chapter Seventeen: Bird  


" _She's underwater again_  
 _Somebody's daughter, a friend_  
 _In the night in the dark in the cold_  
 _As she walks far away_

 _Hope is a distance unreached_  
 _And the faint sound of friends_  
 _As she nears to the end, she had peace..._ "

-Billie Marten

Ooo0ooO

Klaus Mikaelson knew the first moment he heard the twin's heartbeats, fluttering deep inside Anna's body, he would love and protect them as fiercely as he did their mother.

So when the first stage of the prophecy came to pass, he felt just as much rage and sadness as she did.

When the twins were born, Meredith had mentioned how Hope had been crying until she felt her brother's touch. It seemed like the twins had a way of calming each other, of balancing each other out, which became more evident as they got older. Mason was more calm, more quiet, and Hope was fierce in everything she did, driven, and was only brought back by her brother's more gentle demeanor. Their parents could hardly think of a time were they weren't close together. Even from a young age, when they were placed in separate beds after graduating from the crib, Mason was crawling into Hope's bed to hold his sister's hand through the night.

Now Klaus watched as his son sat alone, curled into a small ball at the end of a couch that seemed much too empty. Tears tracked down his face, but his shoulders had stopped shaking with sobs some time ago. All his crying was silent now, and that, his father thought, was much worse.

Anna, on the other hand, had nearly destroyed the mansion in a fit of pure rage. Her eyes had remained liquid gold for days before they finally showed a hint of softening gray, and that shift had come when her gaze had settled on her son.

In turn, Klaus had also found himself feeling angry and distraught, but his rage had been internalized, and had remained festering deep within him like an unhealed wound.

They thought they had time before anything would come to pass, and it seemed that the witches had used that to their advantage. Diving deep into the dreams, the memories, and the feelings that closely linked the Hybrid family, they had masked the good and amplified the bad. Any doubt that Hope had had about her mother loving Mason more than her was brought to the front most of her mind, and any jealousy she had towards her sibling was doubled. It only trickled and spiraled from there, until the cracks became too wide and the witches got a hold on the young Hybrid before either of her parents could intercede.

The witches took Hope right out from under them, but in the end they had left it up to Hope on whether or not to come with them. They gave her promises of love, of showing her her true potential as a Hybrid with both her strength and her magic. They lured her over with sweet words and oaths that they would not focus on any one else but her, their star pupil, and in the end that call had been too strong for Hope to resist. Not that the witch's power gave her a choice. Much like the spell Celeste had used to control Anna, Hope was under the witch's sway, and walked out of the mansion on the night of a full moon and hadn't been seen for nearly three months.

Klaus pulled himself from his thoughts, and rubbed the spot over his heart. Being linked to Anna, and in turn his children, meant feeling more than his own sadness, but theirs as well. It was something that seemed to ground them, bringing them together even when they all wanted to fall apart.

Mason glanced at his father when the older Hybrid moved to sit down beside him. He sniffed, wiping his eyes with the heels of his palms.

Klaus looked at his son, taken aback by how grown he was. He now appeared to be like any other sixteen year old, except for his flashing gold eyes and magical aura that radiated his sadness. Klaus also took a moment to think about how when Mason and Hope were younger, they had both been a perfect blend of their parents with gray-blue eyes and golden brown hair. But time has also taken away some of those small similarities, leaving Mason with his father's golden hair and Hope with her mother's chocolate curls, but in turn had left them both with the dove gray eyes, marking them as children of the Davis bloodline.

"Where's Mom?" Mason asked, looking down at his wrist, where he tugged at a bracelet he wore.

Klaus eyed the bracelet. It was made from braided leather, which had worn out over the years, and had two charms- both silver, one with the Mikaelson crest, and the other with the Davis crest. Klaus knew Hope had a matching one, which the twins had received on their tenth birthday. "She's with your uncle," Klaus said, referring to Charlie.

Charlie had moved into the mansion officially the day they realized Hope had gone missing, but he had been living with them on and off since Meredith's death. The werewolf seemed to withdraw into himself and found solace with his sister and his niece and nephew, which kept him from disappearing again.

Mason sighed, running his hand through his fair hair. "Where are the others?"

"Close by."

Hayley and Elijah had found a small townhouse a mile or so away that they had moved into this past year, while Rebekah had her own apartment still, which was shared with Marcel when he wasn't in New Orleans. Antonio and Bennett had returned to Italy some time ago, while Eve, Patrick, and their pack had returned to New Orleans to rebuild on the lands that their ancestors had lived on. Even William and his pack were north once again, having moved on a few years back when they thought they all had time before the witches would come again.

Klaus knew why Mason was asking where everyone was. He reached out, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. "We will get her back, Mason. You know we will."

The young Hybrid looked up, but didn't meet his father's gaze. "Yeah... but what if it's too late?"

Ooo0ooO

Gray eyes tracked the movements by the fire that blazed in the middle of the opening. Trees encircled the sacred space, marked by hallowed ground, and the air hummed with the energy and magic that pulsed around them.

A group of witches chanted as they performed their ritual, and Hope Mikaelson watched as they threw herbs and ashes into the flames, making them change colors and dance.

And from across the flames, another pair of eyes watched the Hybrid with a healthy dose of fear and uncertainty.

Davina had, in her mind, done a good job in hiding away from the other witches, keeping herself underground and tucked away in safe houses and unknown locations. But even her magic hadn't been strong enough to cloak her forever, and she had been taken the same time the Hybrid had joined the witches. So she watched Hope as the Hybrid watched the ritual, her heart pounding.

It had been years since she saw Hope, and that had been when Hope was five and showing strong signs of possessing a great deal of magic. Anna had called her, since Hope had been creating bursts of accidental magic, and the older Hybrid had asked the witch for her help. Davina had taught Hope, along with her brother, how to focus her magic, but being five year olds, that focus only lasted as long as their attention span did. It would be another couple of years before the twins could control and channel their magic, but even then it was still unpredictable at times.

Davina had gone underground when it was rumored the witches had resurfaced by near Maine, and until now, she had stayed away from any kind of supernatural creature, Hybrid or otherwise. Although she was older, and much changed from the teenager the young Hybrid remembered, years of being out of touch with her magic put Davina at a disadvantage.

Davina was pulled from her thoughts when she was yanked forward, and she stumbled, since her arms and legs were restrained with chains carved with runes to deplete her of any magic she still had. Her wide brown eyes lifted when she saw Hope walking over to stand by the eldest witch who had her clawed hand in Davina's arm.

"Are you ready?" the elder asked Hope, glancing towards the Hybrid while handing her something that gleamed darkly in the fire light.

Hope looked down at the curved, runed blade resting in the witch's hand, then took a deep breath.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	19. Paint the Pictures

Chapter Eighteen: Paint the Pictures  


" _I paint the pictures of the oceans I'll never see_

 _I'll hold a candle through the darkness so I believe_

 _There is a future, fine and narrow, fly me home_

 _I paint the pictures of emotions I'll never own,_

 _Send me on my way, I drifted out of here_

 _Into outer space, I found a place out there_

 _Find me on the moon, you'll never be alone_ _..._ "

-of Verona

Ooo0ooO

When Mason Henrik Mikaelson would later look back at the bond between him and his twin sister, and there would only be one moment in his entire existence were he would think it was a curse.

So when that moment came, he only wished he could suffer in it with her, because being apart from her was so much _worse._

One night, not long after she was taken, he would be awaken by a terrible feeling, like a knife being plunged into his chest. He would wake up screaming, pain ripping through his body, his mind going white as every thought, every feeling, and memory, seemed to be whisked away into clear, blank nothingness.

Anna was the first to get to him. Although the family was linked, more deeply than others, it was her motherly instinct that had her rushing towards her son's room seconds before the screams began. It would only seem hauntingly ironic that she had been suffering the same nightmare that would cause her son to rise from his bed to unleash those profound shrieks. It always came back to the dreams... perhaps that's why she wasn't surprised, but instead was cursing whatever had brought this onto her, and then onto her children.

With one arm achingly empty, a Hope shaped hole unfilled, Anna cradled Mason to her chest like she had when he was younger, rocking him until his throat was too hoarse to scream anymore.

Klaus was there only a second later, having been outside, looking up at the moon which sat full in the sky. He had been contemplating how with every full moon, he had been by his children's side. Neither of them had gone though the transformation into their wolf forms, but this night felt different, heavier. Little did he know that tonight, change was happening many miles away for his daughter, his little wolf, his princess.

But since she was too far to hold, he held onto Mason even tighter, as though he could prevent anything from touching him. And in that moment, if anything tried, they would be very, very unsuccessful.

Mason managed to catch his breath, despite the tight embrace both of his parents had on him. He didn't mind. His mother smelled comforting, like she always did, like the woods and the wildflowers, like the river he had grown up playing in. And then there was his father, who was warm and firm and real, smelling like his favorite whiskey, and turpentine, as though he had been locked away in his drawing room again.

The smaller Hybrid pulled back, his eyes a distressed gold, looking into the gray eyes of his mother, and pretended for a moment, they weren't Anna's, but Hope's.

"Mom?" he managed to whimper, shaking in her arms.

Anna brushed his golden curls back, kissing his damp forehead gently. She pressed her forehead to his, allowing him to match his breathing to hers, so that his racing heart calmed.

 _Anna?_ Klaus echoed in her mind, reaching out to her through their soul bond, a hand extending for hers.

Anna's eyes were dark, stormy, pain-filled, meeting Klaus' ocean hues. _Hope_ , was all she whispered, and it came out broken and rough, like a voice cracking after a good, long cry.

Klaus closed his eyes briefly. Yes, _Hope_.

Because there was only one thing that would cause that much pain, enough to rocket through the familial bond, enough to make her twin scream... it was a pain Anna was familiar with, a pain Klaus had only felt within the last few decades.

A pain that marked a werewolf going through their first transformation.

Ooo0ooO

Another long, high pitch shriek tore through the cold air like a knife, sharp and true, piercing anyone close enough to hear it. Animals fled farther into the forests at the sound, and those watching could barely keep their eyes level.

In the middle of the circle, writhed a small, brown haired Hybrid. Her back arched off the ground, her spine snapping at an odd angle, and another guttural scream ripped up her throat and into the night.

Hope's eyes were burning gold, with blackish veins creeping down her pale flesh, like cracks in a well, where tears quickly followed as an unimaginable pain tore through her body. It shaped her, broke her, tore her apart, then put her back together.

The process took no more than five minutes, but for her, it felt like five centuries. But when it was done... she rose.

A slender, golden eyed, brown wolf stood in the girl's place, blinking slowly before looking up at the moon. Then it tilted its head back, and howled. It howled by instinct, calling out to others, to its pack.

But its pack was too far away to hear the cries.

Ooo0ooO

The river flowed smoothly, like a dark ribbon, carving its way through the grass and down into the falls, reflecting the full moon and its dark surface.

Sitting on its most banks was a young Hybrid, golden eyed, running his hands through his equally golden hair, joined by a three wolves, one gray and two brown.

The larger brown wolf had his head on Mason's lap, much like a dog. He whimpered every now and then, turning his gold gaze towards' his nephew's, as though he could feel the pain that reverberated through the Hybrid family. And perhaps, in many ways, he did.

Klaus sat to Mason's left, his gaze once more fixed on the moon, while Anna watched the river flow on by, peacefully, much too calm for a night like this. She wanted it to be turbulent, like the ocean, like all the things she was feeling inside.

When the moon lost its pull, the three wolves shifted back, but stayed close together. Mason leaned a shoulder against his uncle, even though his hand was grasping his mother's. Another hand rested on Mason's shoulder as Klaus met Anna's gaze once more, speaking through the bond quietly, allowing their son a moment of solace while he stared at the empty woods spanning out across the river.

 _If she's transformed..._ Klaus began slowly, but he couldn't finish that thought. _I always believed we would be there, if it came to this..._

 _I know_ , Anna breathed, her eyes taking on that metallic shine, somewhere between silver and gold.

Finally, Klaus managed to ask the question they were both trying not to consider. _Who?_

Anna didn't answer, but instead opened her mind to his completely, taking him back through the nightmare that had dug its claws into her and then their son...

 _The smell of sage melted in with the smell of blood, making the air oddly coy._

 _It was dark, so dark, but then- a fire was burning, reaching up towards the sky, tearing at its belly with red and gold claws. It burned her eyes and she had to blink before she got her bearings._

 _A figure was kneeling in front of the fire, as though in prayer. But the chains and the gag spelled a different story..._

 _Then the figure looked up, and she reeled back, her mind whirling with memories, vague but real, of a girl teaching her and her brother magic, of a girl with doe brown eyes and a soft laugh, a girl who had to hide because magic was no longer safe..._

 _No! she cried out in her mind, but then her muscles relaxed as a strange, dark feeling crept over her skin, like spiders. Her protests were silenced, and a carved knife was pressed into her open hand..._

 _It gleamed silver in the moonlight, and when it arched downward, it looked like the crescent moon, but the moon was full tonight, full, and suddenly more blood scented the air and sprayed across her skin like hot water from a broken faucet and then..._

 _Agony._

 _White hot, searing agony._

 _She wondered if she had fallen into the fire. Pain licked at her nerve endings, it_ _shaped her, broke her, tore her apart, then put her back together..._

 _A howl pierced through the air, rising up to the moon, a cry, the wolf's scream..._

Klaus pulled away from Anna's mind with the force of a snapping rubber band. His eyes were wide, horrified, full of disbelief and pain and rage, so much, so _much..._

"Hope," he choked out.

Anna merely pressed her cheek into her son's hair, breathing his scent in, trying to use it to anchor herself down, to find some stability in all of this.

Ooo0ooO

A single tear tracked down his cheek, slowly, like how the river was flowing in front of him, through the grass, to the falls...

Mason cursed the bond, for the first and last time. He cursed it for the pain it brought, for the pain it made them share, but mostly, he cursed it because the bond felt so decisively hollow with the missing link so far away.

He closed his eyes, now back to gray, and he reached out through it. He touched the strings the bond used to connect him to everyone else, like his mother had taught him. She said the strings became clear when she turned into a Hybrid, and she could visualize them in an almost meditative state.

He could feel them now, delicate as the weaving in a spider's web, but strong, unbreakable. They touched his mother, his father, and his uncle, his pack. But it was the one string, the faint one, one that was gold and silver and white all at once that he delicately plucked, like a violin string.

 _Hope_ , his mind whispered softly, but the emotions behind it was full an strong and true, his love, his fear, his worry, his strength, all of which he sent along that string, releasing it like one releases a paper airplane into the breeze...

His eyes flew open when he felt that strong quiver, a small response, a small question asked that was coated in disbelief and relief... and not only did he _feel_ it, he _heard it..._ The single whisper, so soft he had to strain it hear it right... but it was _there_...

 _Mason?_

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: for babykatiekay, this story will never stop! Well, right now it won't. Cheers, friend.**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


	20. Lead the Fight On

Chapter Nineteen: Lead the Fight On  


" _Tell me a story with an ending that makes me smile_  
 _Tell me you'll stand by me longer than just awhile_  
 _Your fight is what I'm believing for_  
 _My fight is hand in hand with yours_

 _We are, we're the ones with the scars and the stripes_  
 _Been here forever too our battle is worth the fight_  
 _Not the little kids you knew before_

 _Our lives may not be the same_  
 _Ourselves found in a single name_  
 _A name of hope for those who've lost their way_

 _I'm fire, I'm pain_  
 _Been through hell, been through rain_  
 _I'm tired, I'm shamed_  
 _Can't stop me anyway_  
 _I'm driven, regardless_  
 _I'm lifting the heavenless_  
 _My hands are, in yours now_

 _Lead the fight on..._ "

-She Is We

Ooo0ooO

Mason felt like the air had returned to his lungs the moment he felt that nudge along the link that bonded him and his sister. His fists clenched and his heart hammered in his chest with a renewed feeling of hope. He stood an shaky legs, so he leaned against the nearest wall, gulping in air.

 _Hope? Hope, can you hear me?_ he asked, pushing his relief and strength through the bond, giving it all to her.

There was another quiver along that link, and it felt like disbelief. Then suddenly waves of relief came pouring back towards him, along with love and fear, and a pressing urgency, like she had too many questions that she wanted to ask all at once.

Mason closed his eyes, focusing on reassuring her- but then, just as quickly as the connection had been made, it was gone, severed, leaving him with an aching hole in his chest and a residual taste of fear on his tongue.

 _Hope!_ he cried out, trying to call her back, trying to feel her again, but felt nothing but that blackness that told him her mind was no longer hers, along with her feelings and that magic that brought them together even when they were miles and miles apart.

"Mason?"

Mason's eyes flew open. In front of him stood his aunt Rebekah, who was watching him with concern. Behind her was Marcel, who was closing the front door. The vampire met the young Hybrid's gaze, and Mason broke eye contact first.

"What is it?" Rebekah pressed, stepping closer to her nephew.

Mason tried to stop his chin from quivering, but his aunt's sharp gaze caught the slight movement, and her hand was on his cheek in a reassuring manner before he could try to pull a brave face.

"Your mother and father are out there right now," Rebekah said softly. "With Charlie and a few others."

"So you've come to babysit," Mason surmised, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone.

"Hey," Marcel interjected. He rested a hand on Mason's shoulder, gripping it tight. "We know you want to be out there too. Right now, you need to stay here and keep yourself safe. What would happen if the witches got a hold of you too?"

"I don't care!" Mason roared, yanking himself from them both. "I want to find my sister!" His expression now blazed with fury, but it was an expression that reminded Rebekah of a younger Klaus so much, her chest ached. Apart from the sometimes gray eyes, Mason looked just like Klaus had before he had been made into a vampire Hybrid, and his fury was just as strong, but it was nothing Rebekah hadn't dealt with before. For her knew that it wasn't just anger, it was fear that was driving him, concern for his sister, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Ignoring the flashing gold and black eyes, the claws and the bared teeth, Rebekah embraced her nephew tightly until she felt him slump against her, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Her eyes briefly met Marcel's, and he too seemed to understand, so he left them alone.

Rebekah closed her eyes, allowing her nephew to cling to her.

Ooo0ooO

Many miles away, Annabelle also had her eyes closed. She could feel her son's anguish, and it pulled at her heart, and she swallowed back the tears that threatened to leak from her eyes. She tried to focus on her other child, her little girl, the one who felt so far away from her and everything else.

A hand took hers, and she trembled slightly, gripping it gratefully, using it as an anchor to keep her from drifting away into the pain that threatened to swallow her. Klaus' hand was strong and warm, and along it she felt his reassurance seep into her skin, his love and his strength, and she knew, she _knew_ that he could feel their son too, and how that their son had managed to reconnect that link with Hope ever so briefly before it had fallen away.

"Nothing," an impatient, familiar voice spat out. "No scent trail, nothing, not even a damn footprint."

Annabelle opened her eyes, looking at her sister in law. Hayley looked angry, frustrated, her cheeks smudged with dirt from being in her wolf form for most of the day as they trekked through the woods in Maine.

Charlie emerged from the trees behind Hayley, still as a large wolf, and when he saw his sister, he too shook his head.

Annabelle drew in a breath, glancing up at her mate. "Where else could they have gone?"

Klaus' eyes were unreadable in the darkness. They looked like twin pools of ink, without a hint of softening blue or the wolfish gold. "Perhaps we can go to Mystic Falls, ask Bonnie, or contact Bennett..."

Anna nodded. "We are going to need all the help we can get," she agreed. "I'll go with Charlie. You, Hayley, and Elijah go back to New Orleans to make sure Mason is okay. Then you and Marcel contact Bennett, go to Italy if you must, we might need the Italian pack... Hayley, you call William, he needs to come back, now."

The others nodded at her orders, before all of them disappeared back into the darkness.

Ooo0ooO

Hope's eyes were a pure white as they stared into the crackling flames before her. She felt nothing, knew nothing, remembered nothing...

Images stirred from within the flames, changing suddenly, and she blinked once as a new vision swept over her, into the witches that controlled her.

 _There was a field of snow, untouched by any humans or animals, a field that was surrounded by a perfect circle of trees, by which a frozen lake sat, its ice creaking and groaning..._

 _Suddenly, there stood a single wolf in the center of the field, with a pale gray coat that nearly blended in with its surroundings. It stared at her with gold eyes, with an unreadable expression, as if it was waiting for her._

 _Then another one stepped into view, slender and brown, much smaller than the gray wolf, and its presence sent a jolt through Hope, a feeling of recognition, even though she knew he hadn't gone through the transformation yet, but of course it made sense that his form would echo hers, as if they were one instead of two, brother and sister, twins in every shape..._

 _But the gray wolf stood in front of the smaller wolf, as if shielding him from her gaze, its stance now protective, and it looked at her like she was a stranger, an intruder. The gray wolf snarled in warning._

 _The scene changed slightly and Hope gasped._

 _At her feet laid the bodies of wolves, all of which looked painfully familiar; the gray wolf, the two large brown wolves, a timber colored wolf, and finally, the smaller, slender brown wolf lay directly at her feet, his gold eyes clouded and unseeing, its throat slit open to the bone, and in her hand sat a wet, dripping knife, the curbed, runed one, and the blood seeped into the snow, a circle of red in the white..._

Gasping, Hope's eyes flashed dove gray, gold, then white again as the control over her body briefly slipped.

She could hear herself screaming internally, crying and sobbing, tearing at the wall of blackness that kept her mind from being her own. She beat her fists bloody against it, screaming for her brother, screaming that they couldn't make her kill him, they couldn't control her, not now or ever...

But those blank, white eyes stared into the flames still, her screams silent to all of those except her.

Ooo0ooO

"Focus. Show me the bond."

Drawing in a deep breath, taking the witch's hands in his, Mason focused on nothing except Hope, channeling everything towards that string that linked their souls, both silver and gold, the only one that tied him to her.

Bonnie felt herself traveling down that link, and it felt like a road, a road into seeping blackness that lead nowhere. She allowed Mason to lead her with his magic, using her own to strengthen his, and she saw the pale image of Mason standing at this tall, endless black wall that stood between him and his twin. She saw him attack it with a fresh wave of fury, but the wall was only an illusion that had been erected within Hope's mind, trapping her, isolating her...

Bonnie opened her eyes at the same time as Mason, and the witch and the Hybrid shared a quiet, despairing look.

"She's alone," he whispered, rubbing a hand over his face in a manner similar to Klaus.

"No," Bonnie said, shaking her head. "If you can reach her, even for a second, then she's not alone. She knows you're there, even if she can't feel the others. I think that's enough."

"Is it?" Mason looked so very young now, innocent and helpless to everything going on. "She's alone with those witches."

Bonnie saw some movement behind Mason, and she saw Annabelle standing in the doorway. She could see how the family was doing everything they could, bringing in the others to help, but there was still a broken piece, and without it, they would not be whole, not without their Hope.

Bonnie squeezed Mason's hands. "I'll help you more- later, though. You need to rest."

Mason nodded, then stood to walk from the room. He paused to kiss his mother's cheek, to embrace her, before he felt Bonnie alone with her.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Anna said, taking Mason's empty seat.

It had only been two days ago when Anna and Charlie had arrived to Mystic Falls, asking Bonnie and the others to come to New Orleans to help in their search for the missing Hybrid. Caroline and Elena were staying at Rebekah's apartment, and Bonnie and April were at the main house.

Bonnie wanted to say something reassuring, but those words died on her tongue. They felt disingenuous. "How are you?" she asked instead.

Anna seemed to contemplate the simple question. "I don't know," she admitted.

Bonnie took her hand, like she had with Mason. "She's fighting their control. If Mason can reach her, there's still... well, hope."

Anna's lips twitched slightly at that. "Yes, there's always hope..." Then those dark gray eyes lifted, meeting Bonnie's hazel ones. "But for how much longer?"

"As long as she chooses to fight," Bonnie said, gripping Anna's hand firmly. "And if she's anything like you, she'll choose to fight for you, for her brother, for her _family_."

Familiar words echoed through Annabelle's mind at that...

 _I chose this, and I chose you... I'm with you always..._

 _Always and forever._

Ooo0ooO

Hope sat trapped within her own mind, head buried in her hands. It felt like she was stuck in this tiny, dark room with high, impenetrable walls with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company.

Frustration thrummed through her body like a drumbeat. She was _sick_ of not being in control of her own body and mind, she was tired of being used like a puppet for the witch's gain and game. She didn't want to feel blood on her hands anymore. She didn't want to feel that pain that came with transformation again, not without the guidance from her parents on how to control it.

With a scream, Hope sent a fist flying against that wall again. She wanted to feel her hand break, to feel something real that came from her own mind, but the mind of another, but her hand stayed pale and unharmed.

 _Anger won't solve anything_ , a voice told her.

Hope closed her eyes, her heart constricting as her father's voice washed over her. "I can't do this anymore. I can't fight them."

The voice came again, patient and firm. _Not like this, not acting like a child._

"I am a child!" Hope cried out. "I'm just sixteen!"

 _No, you're not a child, my little wolf,_ Klaus said, more gently this time. _You know what you are, and you are more than a temperamental child. Who are you?_

"I'm the daughter of Annabelle and Niklaus Mikaelson, a werewolf from an ancient bloodline and the Original Hybrid."

 _Who are you?_

"I'm a vampire, werewolf, and witch Hybrid."

 _Who are you?_

"I'm Hope Rebekah Mikaelson," she whispered, eyes opening, her irises the perfect blend of gold and silver gray. "And I'm nobody's puppet."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	21. The Other Side

Chapter Twenty: The Other Side  


" _I don't want to know who we are without each other_  
 _It's just too hard_  
 _I don't want to leave here without you_  
 _I don't want to lose part of me_  
 _Will I recover?_  
 _That broken piece, let it go and unleash all the feelings_

 _Is it fair, or is it fate?_  
 _No one knows_  
 _The stars choose their lovers, save my soul_  
 _It hurts just the same_  
 _And I can't tear myself away_

 _I don't want to know what it's like to live without you_  
 _Don't want to know the other side of a world without you_..."

-Ruelle

Ooo0ooO

 _I watched as a slender girl stepped into a clearing. The air was cold and crisp as snow silently fell all around us. The girl looked at me, and her face was so achingly familiar. She stared at me, then looked over my shoulder._

 _A slender brown wolf stepped into the clearing and I heard the quiet intake of the girl's breath as she too recognized him._

 _My son, I thought. A wolf._

 _But then I felt a surge of protectiveness, and I stepped in front of him. I snarled at the girl, even as I wondered why I was doing such a thing._

 _My daughter, I thought as the image of the girl faded from view._

 _My Hope._

Klaus opened his eyes slowly. He turned slightly in the bed, looking at his sleeping mate.

It was still the middle of the night, but he could see every detail as though it were day. His eyes traced over her as memories overcame him, resurfacing thanks to his dreams.

He saw her wading into the river, bone thin with long, tangled hair, and how she had snarled at him, unafraid of who he was.

He saw her the first time they had made love, dressed in white, looking like an angel with nothing but love and trust in her eyes.

He saw her, chin raised, as they listened to the sounds of the twin's heartbeats for the first time together.

He saw her lying on the ground, pinned beneath Mikael as he slit her throat, even as the twins moved and kicked within her.

He remembered holding them both for the first time, and looking into Anna's eyes, as she stared at him as a freshly made Hybrid.

He remembered their wedding day, how he had vowed to love her always and forever, how she had glowed and how it had felt to kiss her when she was made his, and he was made hers.

And he remembered that awful moment when they had discovered that their daughter- their Hope, his little wolf- had been taken from them. He remembered the rage, the fear, the choking feeling that had overcome them both. He remembered how his son had cried.

His finger reached out, touching the soft skin of Anna's throat, right where Mikael's throat had cut her. The knife had been poisoned, but the blood- his blood- that had been within her had healed her, and then had turned her. Even though that scar had quickly faded, he could still see that open and bleeding wound.

Now that open wound was the space left behind by their missing daughter, and all Klaus could picture was one night when he had been up, looking down at Hope and Mason in their cribs.

 _I peered down at them both, knowing for the first time in my life there were such things as miracles._

 _My daughter looked up at me, her bluish gray eyes staring into mine. I touched her cheek, marveling how soft it was._

 _I lifted her into my arms, cradling her close. She snuggled against my throat in a trusting way, like how a pup sidles closer to its parent to feel safe._

 _"I will always keep you safe," I murmured. "You, Mason, and your mother."_

 _I pulled her around so I could look into those beautiful eyes again, my chest tightening. "No one will ever harm you," I continued in a thick voice. "Not you, my little wolf. I will love you until the end of my days, always and forever."_

Klaus ignored how his eyes burned from the memory. He didn't want to wake up Anna, who looked so tired these days. She needed all the rest she could get.

Come tomorrow, the others would arrive, and Klaus swore this time, they would find Hope.

Ooo0ooO

Rebekah sat on the front porch as the sun came up. Her blue eyes were fixed on the boy sitting next to her, staring into the mug of coffee that was going cold in his hands.

"Do you want blood?" she finally asked.

Mason shook his head silently.

Sighing, she plucked the mug from his hands, setting it aside. "Mason," she began.

"Don't," the young Hybrid whispered.

"Mason Mikaelson, don't you take that tone with me," Rebekah said sharply.

Mason lowered his head and Rebekah's expression softened. She reached out, touching his forearm gently. "You have to keep it together, you know that. We will find Hope, but we need to stay strong."

Mason looked up at her, with clear gray eyes. "Aunt Rebekah, I'm not a little kid anymore."

She smiled. "You'll always be a kid to me. I remember when you were little, just started walking, and you crawled out of your bed because Hope was having a nightmare. Your mom and dad were away for the weekend, visiting your great-grandpa. I came in and you were lying there, holding her hand. When I asked what you were doing, you told me, "I'm watchin' out for my sister, auntie. It's my job"." Rebekah shook her head and chuckled. "Sometimes you remind me so much of your father. He was the same way when we were younger, before Mikael warped us into what we are now."

She reached out, touching his cheek. "It's not just your job to protect your sister, Mason. It's all of our jobs."

Mason nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. "Okay."

"Now, let's go inside. The others will be here soon."

Ooo0ooO

 _I watched as the gray wolf stepping in front of the smaller brown one, snarling._

 _I stepped back uncertainly. Why was my father snarling at me? Why was he protecting Mason but not me?_

 _Confusion ran through my veins, mixed with sadness and anger, and I wanted to scream at him, I wanted to cry, and I wanted nothing more than for him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that I was safe, that I was going home._

 _But he stood there still snarling._

 _I turned and I ran. I didn't notice the tears streaming down my cheeks, which started to freeze against my skin due to the cold air._

 _I didn't know where I was going, I was just following my instincts._

 _When I stopped, I found myself in a familiar place that made me cry even harder._

 _The river was cutting through the snow like a black ribbon, its waters still flowing even though the rest of the world was frozen. The trees were dripping with icicles and the grass and snow crunched beneath my feet._

 _I fell to my knees on the frozen riverbank, looking down in the water. I stared down at my reflection- the long, tangled hair, the sharp cheekbones, the clouded gray eyes._

 _Screaming, I dashed a hand across the water, distorting my reflection._

 _Suddenly, I felt a warm hand against my shoulder. "It's all right, my little girl."_

 _I looked up in shock, my eyes meeting another pair of gray ones. "Mom?"_

 _Mom smiled at me gently, touching my cheek like she did with Dad. "I'm here."_

 _More tears leaked down my cheeks. "Mom, I'm so scared."_

 _"I know," Mom said, pulling me against her side. She ran a down down my hair soothingly. She smelled so familiar, like wolf and wildflowers._

 _"Momma," I said, not caring I was calling her something I hadn't since I was little. "What am I going to do?"_

 _Mom pulled back, wiping the tears from my eyes. Her gaze was still gentle, but there was strength behind it. "Who are you?"_

 _My mind flashed to the dream I had of Dad asking me that. "I'm Hope Rebekah Mikaelson and I'm nobody's puppet."_

 _"That's right," Mom said._

 _"How did you do it? How did you fight their control?" I asked, gripping her hand._

 _Sighing, Mom pulled me close again, tucking me under her chin like she used to."Part of it was because of your uncle Charlie. Blood recognizes blood, even if some witch messes with you and your memories. But most of it was the bond between your father and me."  
_

 _"The soul bond?" I asked on a whisper._

 _I felt her nod against the top of my head. "It's ancient magic, dating back to the Original Werewolves. Klaus, his father was in the Original Pack. So was our ancestor, William. It's a kind of magic I don't think we'll ever understand, not truly." I felt her sigh again. "It's strong, Hope. just like you. Trust the bond. Feel the bond."_

 _"Mom-,"_

 _But just as quickly as she appeared, Mom was gone._

 _"Mom? Mom!"_

Hope opened her eyes with a gasp.

A tall, black haired witch stood over her. "Did you have a nice dream, little Hybrid?"

Hope snarled. She knew this witch wasn't who she was. The dead witch Celeste had taken over the body of another named Katie, who had once lived in the Quarter. Katie and Celeste had both died, but the witches that had followed Celeste had found a way to bring them both back in some way.

"Fuck off," Hope snapped.

"Now, do you think your mother would approve of your language?" the witch tsked.

"My mother would tear off your _fucking_ head if she got the chance," Hope said, meeting the witch's gaze with burning gold eyes.

"That sounds more like your father," the witch commented.

Hope leaned forward, baring her teeth. "Maybe you won't have to worry about them. Maybe you'll have to worry about me."

The witch merely laughed. "Oh, sweet pea," she chuckled. "Don't you remember? You're _mine_."

Hope saw the hand coming and moved in a flash to avoid it, but when the witch used her magic to keep her still, she screamed when the hand touched her skin, burning it.

 _No!_ she screamed internally.

 _Mason!_

 _Mom!_

 _Dad!_

Ooo0ooO

"I don't want to dream about my little girl getting hurt anymore."

With a sigh, Elijah sat down next to his brother. They were waiting for the others to arrive, so hopefully they could find Hope. They had tried so many times already, and Elijah knew the toll was waning on his brother, his sister in law, and his nephew.

"Tell me," Elijah said simply.

He listened as Klaus explained the dreams to him. He listened to every detail.

"I don't know why I acted that way," Klaus admitted, running a hand across his face. "Why would I snarl at my own daughter?"

"We don't know how deep the witch's influence is," Elijah said calmly. "Your wolf knows that, and it wants to keep your son safe."

"My wolf knows that she's out there, transforming every full moon without _my help!_ " Klaus shouted, flashing and throwing a fist into the wall.

"Your temper will not help your daughter!" Elijah exclaimed, standing.

"My temper keeps me going! Or do you not understand me, brother?" Klaus snapped, moving threateningly towards Elijah.

"I understand you perfectly, Niklaus," Elijah said in a low voice. "Don't forget, Hope is my family too. So I know _exactly_ how afraid you are, because we are _all_ afraid!"

Klaus stood still before his expression broke. He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry."

Elijah stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Let us help you, brother."

Klaus inhaled deeply, then nodded.

Annabelle walked into the room, pausing when she saw Elijah allowing Klaus to lean on him. Her gaze met his, and he nodded.

When both brothers turned to face her, she smiled a little.

"They're here."

Ooo0ooO

Anna stood between Elijah and Klaus outside their mansion, looking at the crowd that had gathered in the front yard.

Rebekah stood next to Mason and Charlie, and Marcel lingered by her side as well. Bonnie stood close by as well, with a few of the Mystic Falls vampires- Elena, Caroline, and Stefan, and even her friend April was there. Antonio and Bennett were there, but unfortunately the rest of the Italian pack had not volunteered to come.

 _"I will not command them to fight a war that is not theirs to fight," Antonio told her when he had arrived moments ago._

 _Anna nodded. "I understand." She looked at Bennett. "Thank you for coming."_

 _"Of course," Bennett said with a respectful nod._

Then William and some of his pack arrived. His Beta had stayed behind with the rest to guard their territory, after stating clearly they did not want to keep getting involved in "Hybrid bullshit".

Annabelle had a harder time understanding that, but she knew that was just because of the slight towards her mate, herself, and her children.

There were some werewolves from New Orleans, like Eve, who stood by Hayley, as well as some daylight vampires that followed Marcel and Klaus. The ones without the daytime rings were also a part of this, even if it was only during the night.

Annabelle suddenly felt another wave of exhaustion. She didn't feel like making a speech about working together for her own purpose. She was tired, so tired...

 _Shall I?_ Klaus asked quietly, between the two of them.

She shook her head, but gripped his hand in thanks. She looked out towards the others. "I don't want to ask you to do anything you don't want to," she said. "But please... she's my daughter."

"If we haven't found her by now... how do you think we will?"

Anna looked up, meeting Stefan's gaze. It had been a while since she had spoken to him, or really to anyone from Mystic Falls. "Because we share a bond, and blood calls to blood," she stated simply.

 _I need to find her, Klaus,_ she whispered as the others nodded.

 _We will, my Anna._

 _She's my little girl- our little girl._ Even in her mind, her voice cracked.

Klaus pulled her close, kissing her on the temple gently. He looked over at their son, who was standing with his aunt, looking lost. When Mason looked up, Klaus nodded at him, and the younger Hybrid made his way over to his parents.

Mason moved to his mother's side, wrapping an arm around her so she was between them both.

Annabelle sighed, tucking her son's head under her chin. And for a moment, she could pretend that her daughter was there with him, pressed against her brother's side, safely wrapped in her and Klaus' arms, a complete family once more.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	22. This is the Hunt

Chapter Twenty One: This is the Hunt  


" _Nothing is the same  
_

 _There's a new world_

 _Calling my name_

 _I can't escape this_

 _Shadows break the dark_

 _And we know they can't be very far_

 _Our fate is beckoning_

 _It's beckoning_

 _We're coming after you_

 _This is the hunt..._ "

-Ruelle

Ooo0ooO

Klaus stood still as the sun slowly rose. He could smell the impending dawn even before the sky changed colors, and he could feel the earth wake even before the others did.

When the sun broke over the horizon, it burned a deep gold like his eyes. His senses were heightened, making his true nature come to the surface. Memories kept flooding his vision, memories of the past, before Annabelle, before their family, and what had happened after she had come.

 _"She's changing you!" Marcel had once said. "You used to be someone that was feared, now look at you!"_

That, of course, was before Marcel and Annabelle had reached their true truce.

But had she changed him?

Was the change so bad?

Klaus couldn't help but wonder how he would have reacted had he not changed.

 _"Stop acting like the monster you think you are!_ " Anna had yelled at him, right before Kol had died. The same night he had told her he had taken her memory of the first time he had told her he loved her. And still, she called him an idiot and told him she loved him too, and he remembered how that had felt.

It felt like the rising sun, burning in his chest.

Klaus clenched his fists. He knew his past self would have torn those witches apart with his bare hands. Those same impulses were something he still fought off. He wanted them to _suffer_ , to _scream_...

Another memory came over him- the night when he had used the sword to kill the other Hybrids... when he had pressed its cold steel against Annabelle's pale throat.

" _Are you going to hurt me, Niklaus?_ " she had asked, eyes dark.

But how could he not want to harm those who had taken his little girl?

A warm hand wrapped itself around his wrist, right above his trembling, fisted hand.

Another memory seeped into his consciousness, but this time, it was not his...

 _He could hear her screams, loud and painful and familiar... He felt her pain, the hot, searing pain that tore through her like claws._

 _He saw the witch that controlled her, he felt the power she had, the white blankness that crept over his mind like it had hers..._

 _He felt his own hand give the signal to have the wolves attack the vampires..._

 _But then he felt her reach out, through the bond that was stronger than any witch's magic, calling out to him, asking him to find her._

 _"Remember how I saved you?" she had asked. "I did it because you were worth saving. But you're going to have to save yourself..."_

 _But in the end, they had saved each other._

Klaus turned his golden eyes towards his mate, anguish etched deep into his features. "I want them to pay," he spat out.

Annabelle's own eyes were soft and gray, and they were gentle. He could feel her own pain and anger, but now she was filled with something else- purpose. "I know," she said, opening his hand so their fingers could lock together. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I want them to _die_ ," Klaus snarled with relish, and he felt an echo of that blackness, that evil that had nearly swallowed him whole before.

Suddenly, Anna's face morphed. She looked fierce, angry, like she always did right before they fought. She dropped his hand. "This is not about what _you want_ , Klaus," she told him. Her voice was more firm than angry. "This is about saving our _daughter_."

"And when we do, then what? We let them walk?" he snapped, rounding on her.

"We let the witches take care of their own. Their laws are not our own," Anna said, not backing away from his fury.

"I want to _rip their hearts out!_ "

"And you think _I don't?_ " Annabelle snarled. She stopped, took a deep breath. Her eyes were still bright with anger, but they remained gray. "I'm not going to watch you walk down that road again."

"You can't stop me."

"No," she agreed. "I can't."

Her thoughts were on every time she had watched him kill, when she had seen the blood drip down his chin, his hands... and Klaus flinched away from them.

"I think I convinced myself I gave you the choice to change," she continued, her voice becoming uneven. "For me, for _us_. But maybe I did, maybe I forced you to change into someone you're not. But I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to stand by and watch someone force my daughter to change into someone she's not. Because I might not have known you for a thousand years, Niklaus, but I _know_ my daughter."

Her hand dropped to her now flat stomach. "I felt her grow inside me. I was there every night to sing her to sleep. I watched her grow up into..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Into someone so beautiful. And no one is going to take that away from her. _No one_."

Klaus felt the fight drain out of his body. "My Anna," he murmured, reaching out to touch her cheek. "If I changed, it is only because you showed me the way to becoming a better man. And because of that, I'm a father and my family is together. You didn't force me to do anything. You gave me the choice and your hand," he said as he took it, pressing it against his heart.

"I'm still not running from you," Anna whispered. "I'm not running from any of this."

Klaus pulled her into his arms. "I know."

Ooo0ooO

Hope closed her eyes. It was always easier to reach out in the dark.

She slid into the trance, listening, feeling for the bond that linked her to her family and the others. Family bond, pack bond, she could feel them all rooted inside her. She touched the one she knew was linked to Mason. Her brother, her twin, he would be able to feel her more than any of the others, even their parents.

 _Blood calls to blood._

 _Mason..._ Hope called out, feeling as though she was yelling into a void and hoping to hear a response.

But she didn't hear him. She _felt_ him.

And he was close.

Ooo0ooO

Mason flashed through the woods, faster than he had ever gone before, not knowing if the others were close. His eyes were gold but he wasn't following his sight. He was following an echo of a whisper in his mind, a familiar voice he would always recognize.

He didn't know where he was, all he knew was that his sister was close. The others had come to help, to keep him and her safe, but it was his job to save her. He knew they felt it was their job, but this was different. His bond with Hope was closer that anyone realized, a familial blood bond that was nearly was powerful as a soul bond.

 _Mason..._

"Hope!" he screamed as he stopped.

The young Hybrid whirled around, taking in his surroundings. The others arrived and they too looked around. It was an abandoned cemetery, where most of the grass and weeds had grown over the tombstones, and creeped along the walls of the nearby crypts.

Mason felt the magic though. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end as the air crackled with electricity. He saw Bennett and Bonnie shift uneasily, feeling the strange, dark magic too.

"Well, well. Looks like we have a party!"

Mason turned and saw an unfamiliar witch standing before him.

Then he heard his mother breathe, "Katie?"

The witch turned her gaze towards Annabelle. "Oh, yes, this," the witch laughed, looking down at her body. "I guess you wouldn't recognize me in this get up." The witch grinned wickedly. "Hello again, Annabelle. Do we need to be reintroduced? Maybe you'll remember this."

The witch lifted a hand and twisted it, and Annabelle let out a terrible scream, collapsing to her knees. Mason saw his father drop down beside her, but his face contorted with rage. "Celeste."

Celeste laughed. When her gaze turned to Mason, her eyes gleamed with interest. "Well, look at you. Has anyone told you you look like your father?"

"Leave him be," Annabelle snarled, standing again.

"Where's Hope!" Mason yelled. "Where's my sister!"

Celeste let out another high, ringing laugh. "I don't think your little search party is going to find her. She's _mine_ now."

"Like hell!" Mason snarled, lunging for her. He felt a hard shove in his chest and the air exploded from his lungs as he was knocked flat on his back.

"Do you honestly think you can fight me, little Hybrid?" Celeste taunted.

Hayley moved to Mason, helping him to his feet, but never taking her eyes off of the witch. "You witches really like the sound of our own voice, don't you?"

"Oh, the big bad wolf," Celeste chuckled. She wiggled her fingers. "Why don't you come play?"

Suddenly, the other witches appeared, as if they had been there the whole time. They faced the others, all with expressionless faces and blank eyes. In the grasp of two was an unconscious girl.

"Hope!"

Ooo0ooO

Klaus felt his entire world tilt when he saw his daughter, eyes closed and head rolling, for the first time in months. She didn't appear to be harmed, but his eyes blazed at the sight of her slender arms being trapped in the witch's grasps.

"You will let her go," he said, moving to face Celeste. "Now!"

"I'm afraid you don't give the orders here, Hybrid," Celeste replied. "But I wonder how many people you'd allow to die just to get to your precious daughter?"

Then the witch's hand moved, fisting in mid air. Mason gasped and was pulled forward, out of Hayley's grip, as if he was being pulled by an invisible hand. "And what about your son?" the witch called, her other hand reaching out as if to caress Mason's cheek.

"If she touches him, she'll take him," Anna whispered so only he could hear. "Klaus..."

"Take me!" Klaus yelled, taking a step forward. "Take me and let my children go."

Celeste paused, her eyes moving to his. "And why would I want you?"

"Because I'm the Original Hybrid. I'm powerful. Hope and Mason, they're just children."

"Mmm, but even you are blind to just how powerful they're going to be." Celeste smiled. "Even more powerful than their daddy."

A small movement caught Klaus' eye and he saw Hope lift her chin slightly, her gray eyes opening. She kept still but she was listening.

"Did your precious mate tell you about the dream she had about your little girl?" Celeste asked. "The one were she stakes you and kills you, leaving your mate to find your remains in the sun?" The witch licked her lips. "What did she tell you, Annabelle? _Long live the king_."

Hope's head snapped up and there was a sudden surge of energy, throwing everyone off their feet within a twenty yard radius. Even Celeste was knocked over, but she was the first to recover.

Hope stood before her, with her brother at her side, each of the Hybrid children staring at the witch that had caused them so much misery. They were holding each other's hands, like they had when they were younger.

"No more," Hope said. Her eyes were gold and black and her magic crackled and moved around her like a cloak.

Celeste managed to laugh. "Do you think you can fight me, little girl? I can't die!"

Then she heard it, the chanting. Her gaze snapped to the side, where Bonnie and Bennett stood. They were holding hands, like Hope and Mason, each chanting a spell that the other witch immediately recognized.

The witches under Celeste's control all gasped and shuddered as the link was severed, and looked around with bewilderment. Then more appeared, all lead by another witch that made Celeste's lip curl.

"Sophie Devereux."

Sophie lifted her chin. "Celeste, it is time you answered your crimes. By the power of the ancestors, we sentence you to death."

All the witches were approaching Celeste, each using their magic to keep her tethered, unable to move.

Mason tugged on Hope's hand. "Come on. Don't watch."

"I want to," Hope spat, her eyes still glowing.

"Hope," Mason tried again. "Please."

After a moment, she blinked, her eyes shifting back to gray. She felt her magic simmer down and her body slumped against her brother's. "Mason?"

"I'm here," he said, pulling her away, towards the others, towards their parents. "You're safe now."

"I knew you'd find me," Hope cried, closing her eyes and holding him close. Then she felt her father kiss her forehead, breathing in her scent, and her mother's long hair tickled her cheek as she whispered soothingly into her ear.

There was a scream, long and terrible, before an even louder series of snaps, followed by a crackling noise. Flames suddenly overtook the cemetery as the group followed the Mikaelsons away from the fire that was slowly engulfing the earth... and Celeste.

Ooo0ooO

Sophie Devereux waited nervously in the parlor, pacing in front of the fire that had been going since last night after they all had returned to the Quarter.

Soft footsteps alerted her of someone approaching and she turned to see Annabelle enter the room. The Hybrid gestured to the couch, where they both sat.

"Thank you, for what you did," Anna began.

Sophie released a breath.

She had managed to disappear for a while before a man named Patrick had tracked her down, telling her he was a friend of Annabelle's and she was "calling in her debt". Sophie felt bitter laughter build in her throat again, but she swallowed it back. She knew that what she had done could have left her dead, but instead Annabelle had showed her mercy, again, and Sophie knew when she called again she would have to answer.

"Piece of cake," Sophie said weakly.

Anna reached out, taking the witch's hand. "Without your help, we wouldn't have gotten Hope back."

Sophie pulled away from Anna that the mention of her daughter's name.

But Anna understood. "I'm sorry about Davina," she whispered. "If I had known-,"

"You couldn't have stopped it. This was foretold, the witches, Hope, everything."

"And the dreams?"

Sophie met Anna's gaze levelly. "I don't know," she admitted. "Sometimes dreams are just that, dreams."

Annabelle sighed. "Where will you go now?"

"Far away," Sophie said immediately. "I think I've had my full of the Mikaelsons for my lifetime. Maybe I'll go back to Italy with Bennett, learn what he knows."

Anna stood up, and so did Sophie.

"Goodbye, Sophie Devereux."

"Goodbye... Anna."

Ooo0ooO

Hope turned restlessly in bed. She flopped onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

Her mind kept echoing with the dream that Celeste had described, the one where she killed her father. The thought made her stomach roll.

Hope covered her eyes with her hands, trying to block out those thoughts.

"I'm not a killer, I'm not a killer."

"Sure you are."

Hope gasped, sitting up.

Sitting in the chair at her desk was Davina, with bluish skin and a throat that was slit and still dripping blood. "You killed me after all."

"N-no. I didn't- it was Celeste," Hope stammered.

Davina suddenly morphed into Celeste, who stood up slowly to approach Hope. "Yes, it was me. And I'll always be with you, little wolf, even after death. We still have so much to do, you and I." She reached out, touching Hope's forehead.

 _The stake was in her hand, and she knew what she had to do. Her eyes turned towards him, where he was nailed to the pole, awaiting the rising sun._

 _"Hope..." Klaus whispered, blood dribbling from his lips. "Please."_

 _With a flash, Hope buried the stake into his heart with a scream, watching as Klaus screamed and burst into flames, his skin turning black and his eyes rolling back..._

Hope woke up screaming.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	23. The Kids Are Alright

Chapter Twenty Two: The Kids Are Alright  


" _Have you given now what you wanted me to give?_

 _Daughters and sons we live in different dreams,_

 _And I realize they cannot see my mind_

 _Because all my thoughts are mine, I know,_

 _Hey, hey, the kids are alright..."_

-WALLA

Ooo0ooO

The nights following the destruction of Celeste were tainted with nightmares. Back at the mansion in Mystic Falls, the halls would echo with the sounds of screams coming from Hope's bedroom. None of the residents slept well.

Mason, ever the kind brother, would flash to his sister's side first, followed swiftly by their parents. Sometimes Charlie would linger in the hallway if he was with them, and sometimes he was joined by Rebekah or Hayley. The now large family waited anxiously until Hope was lulled back into a dreamless sleep.

Antonio and Bennett left with Sophie Devereux a few days ago, but not before the witch Hybrid gifted Hope with a small charm necklace with the promise it would keep her safe. Although it did not stave off the nightmares, it would prevent her from ever falling under another's influence again. But that was only known by Bennett and Hope.

Tonight was no different from the rest. Hope woke up screaming, and Mason rushed to her side to comfort her, to tell her she was safe.

Down the hallway, Annabelle leaned heavily on Charlie. He was starting to grow his beard back, and it tickled Anna's cheek as he hugged her. Her eyes were dark and distressed.

Klaus stood a few feet away, eyes shut, as if he could block out the sounds of the screams. His face was silhouetted by the shadows that fell from the window, turning his hair silver and masking the silent tears tracking down his cheek.

Mason emerged a few moment later, after the noise had died down. He looked as rumpled as his father.

Annabelle felt her entire chest constrict. How was it possible that her son could look so much like her mate, and yet he was becoming his own person? Why was it that anytime she looked at her daughter, she saw a reflection of herself when she was younger, and yet she was entirely like Klaus?

 _It's going by too fast,_ she thought anxiously. _But we have an eternity._

She shook her heads to scatter the juxtaposing thoughts.

She went to her daughter first. Klaus stayed in the hallway, now being comforted by his brother in law. She wished she could cry, like Klaus was. It was still a bit of a shock to see him cry, to see him feel everything so intensely after centuries of living under a mask. His heart, beating in time with hers, ached.

But she would not cry in front of her daughter. Hope would not want the tears, she would see them as pity. She would see them as their belief that she was slowly becoming the monster the witches said she'd be, even before she was born.

Yet she still ached. She wanted to reach out for her little girl, to cradle her to her chest, to murmur to her, to sing to her.

Then Anna looked towards her daughter, who was sitting up, with tears tracking down her own cheeks from angry, miserable eyes, and she knew her daughter was no longer that little girl. She was a young woman now, an angry and confused Hybrid, unaware of who she truly was and what she was capable of.

And in that moment, Anna got a glimpse of a part of Klaus, reflected in those eyes which were gray instead of blue.

"Hope," Anna said softly, moving to sit next to her.

"Where's Dad?" Hope whispered.

"I'm here, my love," Klaus said from the doorway, cheeks dry and eyes steady.

Annabelle moved so he could sit closer to their daughter. Part of her wanted to go check on Mason, but she knew Charlie would make sure he was alright. Right now, she was needed here.

Ooo0ooO

Klaus watched his mate from a distance while she sat quietly by the river. The gentle breeze carried her scent and mussed her hair, but she did not seem to notice as it fell into her eyes. She had been staring out across the expanse of water for over an hour now, hardly moving or blinking.

He did not need to delve into her mind to know her thoughts. He knew her too well, so he knew she was thinking of all the nightmares she had had when she first arrived to Mystic Falls, thanks to Silas and the witches and the soul bond.

He rubbed his wrist absently. The mark had long since faded, resembling a birthmark rather than a colored tattoo like it had when it had first been forged. He then twisted his wedding band, torn between wanting to comfort his mate and wanting to go back to their children, who were in the mansion being watched by Charlie and Hayley.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Klaus turned to see the werewolf Patrick leaning against a tree, looking casual, as though he had been there the whole time. Klaus frowned. He did not interact with the werewolf very much, but as civil towards him. He was, after all, the man who had pointed Annabelle down the path to Klaus, quite literally.

"I figured you would be back in New Orleans with Eve," Klaus commented, turning his gaze back towards Anna.

"My mother is more than capable of handling herself," Patrick said. "Besides, it's not like the wolves are no longer welcome there."

When Klaus did not reply, Patrick heaved a sigh. Trying to have a conversation with Klaus sometimes felt like defusing a bomb, since you didn't know what could set him off. Although he trusted Anna, he still felt wary of the Original Hybrid.

"How's Hope?" he tried again. This time, the Hybrid _did_ look at him, but his dark gaze made Patrick choose his next words carefully. "I think you should ease off."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "And what qualifies you to give me advice about my own child? Are you a father?"

"No," Patrick said evenly. "But I do have an overprotective parent. I just think you need to let her breathe. When was the last time you left her alone?"

"The last time we left her alone, she was abducted," Klaus snarled. "Be cautious, wolf. I am not known for my patience."

"Klaus?"

The men turned to see Annabelle approaching them.

"Belle," Patrick said in way of greeting.

Anna merely rolled her eyes at the old nickname. Her eyes slid back towards her mate. "Is everything okay?"

"Patrick and I were just having a chat about Hope. It seems your friend feels he needs to share his thoughts about our parenting skills."

Ignoring his biting tone, Annabelle lifted a brow. "Klaus, Patrick is our friend. If he has something to say, he can say it."

Patrick tried not to smirk at the firm tone Annabelle spoke in. It was different than her Alpha tone, this was one she developed after becoming a mother.

"Patrick?" Anna asked, facing him.

Patrick sighed again, avoiding Klaus' gaze all together. "I think you need to lay off of Hope."

While Klaus had snarled and glared, Anna's eyes remained cool and expressionless, which seemed almost worst. Patrick struggled not to lower his gaze respectfully.

"All I'm saying is, she's a teenager. A _Hybrid_ teenager. She's been through a lot and I don't know if having everyone breathe down her neck is necessarily helpful."

"You sound like my brother," Anna said in an almost thoughtful tone. "He's told me something similar."

Klaus gave her a sharp look, but she didn't meet his gaze still.

"I know it's probably none of my business..." Patrick trailed off, feeling trapped between their gray and blue gazes.

"Thank you, Patrick," Anna said, giving him a smile that did not reach her eyes.

Patrick nodded. "I'll be off to New Orleans soon. I think Rebekah will be coming with me, so she can see Marcel."

When both Hybrids nodded, the werewolf turned and quickly went on his way, wondering if he was somehow going to regret ever opening his mouth in the first place.

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle watched her friend move off quickly, disappearing into the woods. She absently thought he needed to cut his hair, which reached his shoulders now.

When she saw Klaus round on her, she faced him and waited for him to go off about how no one needed to voice their opinions about Hope or Mason.

When he did, she nearly sighed. Reaching out, she touched Klaus' cheek, which caused him to pause in the middle of his sentence.

"Sit with me?" she requested, before moving back to the riverbanks.

Baffled, Klaus followed her. When they sat down, Annabelle did sigh. She looked tired and somehow aged, even though she would spend the rest of eternity barely being thirty.

Klaus felt the fight leave from him as well. They had been fighting on and off the past few days, driven by their worry over their daughter and lack of sleep.

"I remember dreaming about you long before I met you," she began in a soft tone, nearly a whisper. "I would wake up in a dream, next to you in that big bed... You would look at me, with so much love in hurt-," she touched her chest, right over her heart, "and you would say-,"

"Hello, love," Klaus finished. He remembered. "I remember thinking I could watch you sleep for all of eternity."

Anna smiled at that. "And one day, I woke up and I was here, by our river. I went for a swim and... There you were. A dream incarnate."

"You called me an asshole," Klaus remarked, lips twitching. He then smiled when Anna laughed, the sound soothing every hurt he had felt since getting Hope back.

"And you said you weren't afraid of me," he continued, getting lost in that memory. He could almost feel her hand taking his, pressing it to her pulse so he could feel that she was not lying.

 _"Not yet," he had said, in a soft tone, hand on her delicate, pale throat._

"No," Anna said, smiling. "I wasn't."

"But you were later," he said, smile fading.

"No," Anna repeated, more firmly. "The only thing I feared was losing you to the darkness you forced yourself to live in."

Klaus closed his eyes briefly at all the times Anna had yelled at him, insisted he was not a monster. Had it been so long ago?

"Klaus, I don't want that to happen to Hope."

He opened his eyes. He saw the concern, the anxiety in his mate's expression. "Are you afraid of her becoming like me?"

Annabelle's eyes widened. He saw a slew of images flash through her mind; him wielding the Hunter's sword, the anguish when he lost Kol, him falling over the falls with Mikael, the look he had when he first heard the twin's heartbeats, the way he grinned when he saw her walking down the aisle, and the way he held the twins with nothing but love in his eyes.

 _"You've taught me that although this world is filled with darkness, there is also light, if one only has enough hope and love to see it... So now I stand before you, offering everything I have, my heart and soul, if you'll take me as I am..."_

Instead of yelling, she leaned forward and kissed him deeply. When she pulled back, he could see the various shades of gray in her irises, flecked with the gold of her wolf.

"If she becomes anything like the man you are today, right now, then I'll know I've raised her right," Annabelle whispered. She touched his cheek again, like she always did. "She'll be strong and she'll be fierce, and she will love her family with her entire heart. She'll be loyal, and she'll be a leader."

Klaus released a breath, leaning into her touch. How was it this woman could always see into his soul, past the flaws and the darkness, to find him even when he lost himself?

 _Because she is your soul_ , a voice that sounded suspiciously like Elijah said in his mind.

"I think it's time for Hope, and Mason, to find out where exactly they come from," Anna said, leaning back. "And it's time we let them grow into who they're meant to be." She smiled a little. "They won't be children forever."

Klaus sighed again, as if that thought saddened him. "No," he agreed. "But they are Hybrids, and perhaps it is time for them to find out what exactly that means."

Snuggling against his side, Anna sat with Klaus by the river, both of them letting the day pass in agreeable silence.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	24. Slow and Steady

Chapter Twenty Three: Slow and Steady  


" _The lights go out, I am all alone_

 _All the trees outside are buried in the snow_

 _I spend my night dancing with my own shadow_

 _And it holds me, and it never lets me go,_

 _Two wolves, running in the wind_

 _I'm never letting go, but I've never felt better_

 _Passing by all the monsters in my head..._ "

-Of Monsters and Men

Ooo0ooO

The night before the Mikaelsons were supposed to leave, Hope walked down the hallway towards her parent's room silently. She listened carefully, hoping they weren't already asleep.

With the full moon nearing, the first since she escaped from the witches, Hope found herself restless and unable to sleep. She went to Mason first, but he was sleeping soundly, with one leg dangling off the edge of his bed. So she let her brother be, feeling a pang in her chest as she was reminded that he would not transform with her. She struggled not to look at her hands, to remember how they had once been coated with Davina's blood...

She paused at the doorway, which was cracked open. She could hear her parents talking quietly and peered inside.

They were stretched out on their large bed, facing each other. Her mom was curled on her side, and her father was stretched out on his back, with his head leaning against her mom's thighs like a pillow.

As she watched, her mom reached out, running her fingers through her father's hair in a familiar gesture that made Hope look away, feeling as though she was intruding on a private moment.

When she lifted her eyes again, this time they fell on her father. He was touching her mother's cheek, smiling when she kissed his palm. They looked so relaxed, so young, and Hope could see the years fade from them both, even if they hadn't left their mark on either of them.

Hope's attention then turned to the faded marks on their forearms. They varied slightly, and were wine colored, like birthmarks. She had seen photos when they had been different colors, gray on her father and blue on her mother, then a blend of the two, before the soul bond had been sealed and the colors had faded. The mark, however, would never fade from their souls- the physical mark seemed almost symbolic at this point, much like their wedding bands.

 _Children of the bond_ , Antonio had called the twins once. He had told them that soul bonds were very rare, and their magic was very powerful. To be born from a bond was to be born from two fragments of one soul, a result of those fragments becoming one. This is why they were Hybrids in every sense of the word- children of a vampire and a werewolf, intermingled with the magic which dated even farther back than the Original Witch.

Part of Hope wondered if that was the reason why her and Mason were feared- from being born from such a powerful bond, from unknown, unexplained magic, and another part, a smaller part, wondered if such a bond existed for her and her brother to find like their parents had.

When she saw her parents kiss, she blushed and walked away, pushing aside any thoughts of finding a soul mate. She made her way downstairs and found her uncle Charlie lounging in front of the fireplace, with a glass of whiskey in hand.

She paused, studying him. Now here was someone who had lost the love of their life- a human doctor, Meredith- and still had not found love after all these years. Or, perhaps, hadn't tried to.

Hope didn't have any memories of Meredith- just vague things, like the faded images from a dream. She knew Meredith was the one her mother had relied on during her pregnancy, and she had been the one who had delivered her and Mason. And she knew her uncle had proposed to her, using an old family ring, which he know wore around his neck. She had died when her and Mason were young, killed by witches and a raised demon.

Clearing her throat quietly, Hope stepped into the room, but lingered at the doorway.

Charlie turned and smiled when he saw her. He set aside the whiskey, and Hope saw a glimmer of copper against the hollow of his throat. "Hope," he said in a low voice. "Are you all right?"

Hope nodded, moving closer until she was perched on the couch closest to him. "Yeah, I just couldn't sleep."

"The moon?" Charlie guessed, and frowned when Hope nodded. He scratched his chin. "I remember the first few times I turned. It was hell, not to mention terrifying."

Hope cringed at the memories of the first time she shifted- the pain, the screaming... "When will it... when will it not hurt? You, Mom, Dad... you shift like it's..."

"Natural," Charlie finished. Sighing, he moved so he was sitting next to her. "It takes time. Luckily for you, you're a Davis."

Hope looked at him from under furrowed brows. "I'm a-,"

Charlie interrupted with a wave of his hand. "You might be part Mikaelson, sure, but you're also a Davis. Your blood is special."

"You mean ancient."

Chuckling, Charlie nodded. "True. But for us, shifting doesn't hurt as bad, and we don't need the moon. Something about us descending directly from the Original Werewolf."

"But Uncle Charlie, don't _all_ werewolves descend from the Original Werewolf?" Hope asked, confused.

"The Original Pack, maybe. But William Davis, his bloodline is specific. Just like an Original Vampire, when they turn someone into a vampire, they then descend from that bloodline. Same idea, but instead of being turned, you're born. I guess you can say it comes with... perks."

Hope's lips twisted up into a smile. "Some perks." Then her smile faded. "Mason..."

Charlie gave her a look, his gray eyes serious. "If there comes a day where he turns, you'll be there for him, just like he'll be there for you, now. Your parents will help you. Not being alone makes it easier."

Hope looked away, into the fire, watching the flames leap and dance.

"What else is on your mind?" Charlie asked, tugging her hair, like he did with her mother.

"Nothing," Hope insisted, shaking her head. "I think I'll try to get some sleep."

Charlie looked at her, as if he knew she was lying, but nodded. "All right. Good night, Hope."

When she walked away, she glanced back over her shoulder. Once more, Charlie's eyes looked distant and lost, as though he was drifting through a memory he didn't want to forget. She didn't miss how his fingertips brushed the ring at his throat, and she felt a swell of love and sympathy build inside her chest.

But like she did with Mason, she let her uncle be, leaving him to the memories of days long passed.

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle's fingers ran through Klaus' soft, golden hair, and he watched her with gold-flecked blue eyes.

They had been talking about the trip they were taking their children on, one that would span quite a distance if they were to learn where each side of their family came from. Klaus' side would come first, since they would have to travel the farthest, back to his old homeland, before they would finish back in that states, heading back to the territory where Anna and Charlie had grown up.

"I think this will be good for them," Anna continued, smiling a little when her mate snuggled against her thighs. "And for us."

"Ah, my Anna, if you wanted a second honeymoon, you could have asked."

Anna laughed silently, leaning into his touch with his hand brushed her cheek. She turned her head, kissing his palm gently. "I don't think it would be appropriate for us to bring our children for that."

Klaus smirked, as if he could see the memories she was thinking of- the ones of the long nights filled of making love under the stars, all long Italy and other parts of Europe...

"Do you...?" The question, which had been unexpected, lodged itself in his throat.

"What is it?"

His eyes searched hers, and she opened her mind to his, allowing him to speak without words. She saw images of herself, with a very round stomach, talking softly to the twins as they kicked. She heard their heartbeats like he had, and smiled. Then the question formed again, and this time she saw herself pregnant once more, but this time, Hope and Mason were there, vowing to protect the newest Mikaelson.

Annabelle's eyes widened slightly. There had been a few times she had wondered about her and Klaus having other kids, but that had been pushed aside for years while they had protected the twins from the witches. Sometimes she thought about it when she thought about spending eternity with him- because surely they would have children again- but what would it be like, to have children so far apart in age?

 _Is it possible?_ Anna thought, blinking.

The only word she heard in his mind was _loophole._ It had been the word Sophie and the other witches had used when Klaus had asked how Anna had fallen pregnant the first time. They had said because he was born a werewolf, he was still able to have children, which he had not known- having been under the impression that once Mikael had forcibly changed him and his siblings into vampires, the prospect was lost.

Anna's mind buzzed with different thoughts and questions. Would the loophole still apply? They were both born werewolves, changed into Hybrids, so it seemed possible... but she would ask Antonio, once they reached Italy. What would Hope and Mason think? She thought about their childhood, a time where they had been happy and yet afraid, uncertain of their future.

Suddenly, a vision crossed her mind, so quickly she almost missed it- a vision of long, dark brown hair and midnight blue eyes, of freckles and a bright laugh, and the nose-tingling scent of turpentine, like the jars that lined Klaus' studio.

Klaus blinked rapidly as he too saw the image in his mate's mind. He felt his chest constrict.

When Anna's vision cleared, she stared at Klaus for a moment before leaning in and kissing him. Perhaps the vision would come to life, like so many of her dreams had. But for now, it was just her and Klaus, and tomorrow they would leave with their quickly growing children on a trip that would last a few months at least.

Pulling back, Anna smiled at him. She shifted so she could lay by his side, curling against him. She rested her cheek against the curve of his shoulder, her hand placed over his heart.

As her eyes drifted shut, she allowed herself to picture the future again... And there she could see herself and Klaus, Hope and Mason, Elijah and Hayley, Rebekah and Marcel, and Charlie... and perhaps, there could also be a few more...

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	25. Ever the Same

Chapter Twenty Four: Ever the Same

" _We were brave like soliders_

 _Falling down under the pale moonlight_

 _You were holding to me_

 _Like a someone broken_

 _And I couldn't tell you but I'm telling you now,_

 _Fall on me, tell me everything you want me to be_

 _Forever with you_

 _Forever in me_

 _Ever the same_

 _Call on me_

 _I'll be there for you and you'll be there for me..._ "

-Rob Thomas

Ooo0ooO

The journey from the states to the territory in which Klaus had been born went more smoothly than any of the Mikaelsons had expected. With their Mystic Falls and New Orleans territories being watched over by Marcel, Charlie, and Hayley, the family of four found themselves in an ancient forest that still stood quiet and unoccupied for centuries.

Klaus told the twins that ever since the Originals had left the land, no other packs or humans had taken over the area, claiming it was cursed. Annabelle had looked at her mate curiously, mostly because he never really talked about his past and his old homeland, not even to her.

The territory was located in a remote area of France, although it had not been France at the time the Original family had been there. Over a thousand years ago, according to Klaus, the division of the land had not existed and the only borders known were the barriers between territories, which were mostly natural barriers, such as rivers and mountains.

While they entered the forests, the twins kept up a stream of questions directed towards their father. Did anything survive once the territory was abandoned? Why was it considered cursed lands? What had happened here so many years ago?

Klaus' gaze grew distant, almost lost, as his mind went back years and years to think about how this area had once looked, how his family had been there- Freya, Finn, Henrik, and the others, including Mikael and Ester... He told them how the Original Pack had burned the area down, but the blame had been placed on the Mikaelson family due to Mikael's involvement with the Original Witch, which is why it was considered cursed. Those who knew of the stories passed them along down the generations, and the stories became more twisted, until the truth was no longer a part of the picture, and any memory of what had once been was thoroughly erased.

Then he told them what had happened to the Mikaelson family- how Mikael had tricked them, Turned them, and how it was revealed that Klaus was not his biological son. He told them about Henrik's murder, how his family had known Annabelle's ancestor, and how Klaus' father had been a member of the Original Pack. He told them about the years he spent lost, trying to figure out more about the curse he was under, the one that prevented him from truly embracing his Hybrid nature, and how that obsession had twisted him into a cruel creature that was almost lost to the darkness within.

"And then you became a true Hybrid, and eventually met Mom," Hope surmised, watching her father closely with her dark gray eyes.

Klaus smiled, taking Annabelle's hand. "Yes. She was the one who showed me the way out of the darkness I had forced myself to live in, told me I wasn't the monster I believed myself to be."

"She saved you," Mason stated, nodding.

"No," Annabelle interjected. "He saved himself. I was just there by his side through it all."

Hope shifted in her seat. The family was gathered around a small fire Klaus had started. The night was warm, and they had packed lightly, and did not mind staying the night under the stars. Her brow was etched with worry. "Dad..." she began hesitantly. "Will you tell us about... Mikael?"

Klaus and Anna exchanged a look. Anna did not seem surprised by the question, but Klaus hesitated, his mind flashing back to how his father had tried to kill him, how he had slit Annabelle's throat, how he had died on the banks of the falls...

Reaching out, Anna took his hand again, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "They deserve to know about him, even if he isn't their blood."

Klaus took a deep breath, nodding. He began talking, taking them back to when he was young, before Mikael had become such a cruel man. He told them how they were happy, and how all of that had changed the night that Henrik was murdered. The story went on over the years, and how Mikael had relentlessly hunted his own children after being awoken. Klaus found it difficult to tell them how once Annabelle had entered the picture, she also became a target, and in turn, so had the twins. He told them that Mikael was determined to destroy them, believing them monsters, and that terrible night when Annabelle had tried to fight him, even when she was heavy with child.

Annabelle had stepped in, telling her side of the story, saying how one day the twins might understand why she acted so rashly if they ever found their mates. She noticed Hope perk up at that comment, but filed that thought away for later. She told them that she had been saved because of her earlier thought to drink some of Klaus' blood, which had been in her system when Mikael had attempted to kill her.

"So you became a Hybrid... right after having us?" Hope asked slowly.

Klaus and Anna both nodded. "According to Meredith-," Annabelle's features grew sad as she mentioned the doctor, "I was an inch away from dying, saved only by the bond and by the blood. As the transformation took over, my body healed itself and I became a Hybrid."

Klaus described how Anna had been so still, so cold, then suddenly her eyes were open, blazing gold and black. He barely suppressed a shudder at the memory of thinking she was dead.

"Did you know that that would happen?" Mason asked, turning his gaze towards his mom.

Annabelle shook her head. "Honestly, I don't really remember my reasoning for doing that. I hardly remember even doing it. The days before both of you were born are a blur in my memory. All I remember, very strongly, is a strong instinct to protect my mate and both of you. Admittedly, I acted rash and foolish. I should not have attacked and fought Mikael and put you both in danger. I'm only glad that Mikael tried to kill me- thinking that in turn it would cause both of you to die- instead of..." She trailed off, her skin turning icy pale.

The family shook off the thought of Mikael, leaving him in the past as a terrible memory. But Hope had a look on her face, and asked one final question. "Do you regret becoming a Hybrid?"

Annabelle's expression smoothed out, becoming thoughtful. "No," she said. She looked at Klaus, and realized this was a question he had been thinking of too, even if he had never voiced it. "No," she repeated for emphasis. "It was... inevitable. I knew that I wanted to be with your father forever, and I knew that I couldn't have forever with him if I had stayed just a werewolf. Werewolves have a longer lifespan than humans, they can live up to over a hundred years old, like Antonio, but a hundred years..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "A hundred years would not be enough. Plus, I vowed never to leave or run away from him again. How could I possibly leave him after my death to continue on, and how could I leave the both of you, knowing you would have an eternity with him? No, I would have had him Turn me. I think my original thought was to have him do it after our wedding, since I felt that was more symmetrical after having vowed to love him forever, to then change so I could do precisely that. Fate just had other plans."

"You never had any doubts about living forever?" Hope asked. "It's an overwhelming thought."

Mason nodded in agreement.

Annabelle considered that. "I think it can be overwhelming, since it's one of those things your mind cannot truly grasp, like the expanse of space, et cetera. But I try not to think about forever on a large scale. When I think about it, I think about watching you both grow up, finding your own mates, perhaps having grandchildren, and so on. I think about exploring this world, learning all that I can, things like that."

"Will you have more kids?" Mason blurted out suddenly, then blushed.

Klaus grinned at his mate. His mind drifted back to the conversation they had had before. "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

"There's always loopholes," Annabelle agreed, smiling back at him.

The twins now exchanged a confused look, before silently agreeing this is one of those inside things between their parents they didn't really understand.

Eventually, the conversation became lighter again as the moon- which was nearly full- rose in the sky. The twins fell asleep leaning against each other, and their parents kept a watchful eye over them. They kept talking through the soul bond, thinking about the future and what it had to hold.

But then Annabelle's attention turned towards the moon. Her sharp vision told her it was close to being full, and her instinct told her the full moon would be here in three days time. Her gray eyes, smoky as the campfire, turned to meet the dark blue gaze of her mate. Her worry was met by his, since they both knew what it would bring.

Ooo0ooO

The Mikaelson family traveled from Klaus' first home to Italy the next day. They reached the lush landscape of Antonio's territory while the sun began its descent in the sky, which bathed the land in a golden light.

The twins grew excited as they reached the vineyard that was at the entrance to Antonio's homeland. They could smell other werewolves, along with the familiar scent of Bennett, the witch Hybrid, and they even noticed their mother walk more quickly with an eager expression.

Suddenly, three figures appeared out of the rows of vines, and Annabelle let out a surprised, happy cry before running forward to greet them. Klaus and the twins watched her embrace a tall, dark haired werewolf with stunning blue eyes. Then she turned towards the taller man next to him, who gave a booming laugh before spinning her around. The slight female was last to hug Annabelle, her darker curls mixing with Annabelle's lighter brown hair as they squealed and held onto each other.

When Annabelle turned to face her family, she introduced the twins to the trio. The blue eyed wolf was Donovan, the one with a loud laugh was Leo, and then there was Leo's mate, Marie. Annabelle explained they had all met while Annabelle and Klaus had been on their honeymoon, and had bonded very quickly. Annabelle lifted her wrist, showing them the charmed bracelet she wore today, saying Marie gave it to her before they had left.

"For protection against certain spells and potions," Annabelle recited from memory. "But not from Fate."

The twins seemed perplexed at that, but had greeted the other werewolves nonetheless. Marie took Hope's face in her hands, examining it closely, before kissing both of her cheeks. She did the same with Mason.

"Evil," Marie scoffed with her thick accent. "There is no evil in their eyes! Only love and magic."

Antonio and Bennett greeted them at the large mansion in which the pack lived. The twins ran into Bennett's arms, greeting him with as much enthusiasm as Anna had her old friends.

The rest of Antonio's pack came out to meet the Hybrid children, and Klaus and Anna both noted how much it had grown since they had been here last. A new set of families were there to meet them all, while the others reacquainted themselves with the couple.

Suddenly, a very tall, dark haired young wolf stepped forward, his gaze latched on Annabelle. He had very traditional Italian features- olive toned skin, olive green eyes, dark, curling hair. He looked like Marie, and Marie introduced him as her cousin, Dante.

Dante smiled and even gave her a slight bow.

Annabelle watched the younger wolf curiously, wondering why he was approaching her first and not Klaus, like the others had.

"Annabelle Davis," he began.

"Davis-Mikaelson," she corrected with a smile.

Dante nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, at last." He took her hand, kissing it like some of the older males had.

Annabelle lifted a brow. "At last?"

"There is someone I would like you to meet," he explained. "The youngest werewolf of our pack, who came to us only a year ago."

So Annabelle followed the werewolf, leaving the others behind to explore the mansion. Dante lead her to one of the back rooms, explaining that the young werewolf had captured Antonio's attention when she had stumbled into their territory, and she would see why.

Annabelle entered the room behind him, her gaze latching onto a young woman who was sitting so her profile was to Annabelle. She had thick, black hair that curled softly around her shoulders, and when she turned to look at the visitors, Annabelle gasped.

Unlike the others, she had startling gray eyes, much like Annabelle's.

"Annabelle, this is Stella," Dante said. "Stella, Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson."

"Oh!" the slender werewolf stood up, then in a flash was embracing Annabelle tightly. "Finally! I've been waiting to meet you."

Annabelle studied the younger female, taking in the pale skin, the youthful freckles, the pretty features. "You've been waiting for... me?"

"Oh yes," Stella said, smiling. "I've been searching for you for a long time, but had no way to get to the states. Then I heard of the Italian pack, and how their leader was friends with Annabelle Davis, and I knew if I found them I would find you."

"Do you know me?" Annabelle asked, still lost.

Stella laughed, shaking her head. "Only through stories. But I knew you would come, cousin."

Annabelle gaped at her. "Cousin?"

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	26. Love Like This

Chapter Twenty Five: Love Like This

" _Running through the heat heart beat_

 _You shine like silver in the sunlight_

 _You light up my cold heart_

 _It feels right in the sun, the sun_

 _We're running around and around_

 _Like nothing else could matter in our life..._ "

-Kodaline

Ooo0ooO

Klaus sighed.

He and the twins were touring the mansion, and it only made him miss home. Although the Italian pack was well off, it still did not compare to the wealth of the Mikaelsons, or even the Davis'.

Annabelle had been taken away by some young wolf, and he wondered why. Reaching out through the bond, he sensed her curiosity, then felt a sharp jab of surprise.

Before he could ask her what was going on, Hope nudged him with her elbow. "Dad, look," she said, gesturing to a painting.

Following her gaze, he paused then laughed.

"Is that you?" Mason asked, peering over his sister's shoulder. "And Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Elijah?"

"And..." Hope trailed off.

Undettered, Klaus named off his other siblings in the painting- Freya, Finn, and Kol.

"When was this painted?"

"We visited Italy about a century before we... went our separate ways. I believe this was painted by an ancestor of Antonio's."

"Your hair was long," Hope said, looking as though she was smothering a grin.

"It was the style of the time," Klaus replied, ignoring the barely muffled snickers of his children.

Klaus then felt a familiar warmth and turned to see Anna reentering the room with the young male and a new female. He took a step towards her, then paused.

The young female looked over at him and the twins, and he saw that she had the same gray eyes as the Davis siblings, as well as the twins.

This time, his thoughts did turn towards his mate. _Anna...?_

 _I'll explain later_ , she said immediately and in a calm tone that had him relaxing.

Annabelle then approached the trio to introduce Dante and Stella. Dante shook hands with Klaus and Mason, then kissed Hope's knuckles in an old fashioned manner that had Klaus glancing at Anna again. She shrugged, smiling. Neither noticed the blush on their daughter's cheeks.

Stella smiled widely at Hope, linking their arms as they strolled through the rest of the large house together. "Is this your first time in Italy?"

Hope, who seemed thrown by the ease and familiarity in which Stella talked and touched her, offered a slightly nervous smile. "Yes. My parents wanted to take my brother and I on a trip to show us where our distant family comes from."

"Wonderful," Stella said. "We'll visit the vineyards next." Then she aimed a beatific smile at Mason, which caused him to flush. "You'll join us, Mason?"

"Sure," Mason said after a beat.

Klaus looked down when he felt someone link their arms with his. Anna shot him that secret smile of hers- one that made him think she knew something he didn't. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned down while a growl rumbled his chest.

In response, Annabelle merely kissed his cheek, her gray eyes shining as they stepped outside into the fading sunlight.

Ooo0ooO

"Cousin?"

Annabelle laughed. "Yes, that's what I said."

Klaus' brow furrowed. "Cousin, like Hayley?"

Pursing her lips, Anna shook her head. "No. Hayley is more of a distant cousin. Plus, if you really think about it, I'm related to basically every werewolf in some way. Hayley and I had a familial bond which made it easier to think of her as _cousin._ Stella is more closely related. The daughter of a sister on my mom's side of the family- something like that."

Klaus sat up, focusing his gaze on Anna. She was changing into a pair of silk shorts and a tank top, since the night air was warm. "You never talk about your family."

After pausing for a moment, Anna folded a shirt back into her suitcase. "I know," she said softly. "It's not easy, as I'm sure it isn't for you. Charlie and I were young when we lost our parents. He pretty much raised me."

Klaus nodded, knowing that much.

"But..." Anna continued slowly. "I still remember them." Her expression seemed lost. "And I remember what it felt like to lose them."

"How?" Klaus asked gently.

"Territory dispute," Annabelle said, moving to lay down beside him. Her hand curled under her cheek as she met his dark blue eyes. "Something about if a river fell into our lands or not. It was stupid, and they died because of it."

"Because of a river," Klaus repeated, thinking of another river, _their_ river.

Anna smiled, apparently thinking of the same thing. "I didn't hate rivers after that. But I was more cautious of other wolves and packs after that. So when Charlie was taken, I..." Anna looked away briefly. "It felt like losing my parents all over again. And for a long time, I tried to find him and well... I found you instead."

"We found Charlie together," Klaus reminded her, grasping her hand.

Anna lifted it, kissing the inside of his wrist. "I know. I'll always be grateful for you for that."

"I'm sorry I can't give them back to you as well, my love."

"I have a new family now," Anna stated. "And that's all that matters. I want to leave the past in the past."

"And that's why you didn't want to name the twins after your parents?"

Nodding, Anna rolled onto her back. "It felt like holding onto two ghosts." She looked at him again. "When did you let your siblings go? Ester and Mikael? They were a part of your life, just like my family was."

Klaus turned over as well. "My other siblings... were easy, apart from Kol." He winced at the memory of watching his brother burn- the same night that Anna first told him she loved him. "Mikael was never a father to me, even when I believed he was. Ester was..." Klaus struggled to find the words. "Warm, in the beginning. But her true nature came out and... I see why you wanted to leave the ghosts of the past in the past. Still, I worry..."

"About what?"

"About turning my children into the very thing that I was afraid of when I was younger, before the transformation. When I believed I was human."

"I thought you got past this," Anna whispered.

"I have, for the most part. The fear still lingers, and grew when I first heard the prophecy. And with the full moon tomorrow, I can't help thinking about what could have happened to Hope if we hasn't found her..."

"But we did," Anna interrupted him. "Just like we found Charlie. And we will be there for our daughter tomorrow while she transforms. Like we will always be there, for as long as she wants us."

Klaus exhaled deeply. "Mason will be upset he can't help her."

A shadow crossed over Annabelle's features. "Since he hasn't triggered his werewolf side... He will do everything he can the way he is now."

"Do you think that time will come?"

This time, Annabelle exhaled. "I don't know," she said honestly. "Part of me hopes not, but another part of me feels it is inevitable. So many werewolves go through this because of accidental deaths... It could be something as simple as a car crash..." She trailed off once more, her gaze becoming more troubled.

"Let's not dwell on this," Klaus suggested, pulling her against his side.

"All right," Anna said, pressing her cheek into the curve of his shoulder.

And wrapped together, the mates fell into a deep, but troubled, sleep.

Ooo0ooO

A loud, pained scream ripped through the air, sounding down the hillsides. A flock of birds took off from the nearby vineyards, startled by the sudden outcry.

"You can do this," a mother said, gripping her daughter's shoulder. With eyes that were no longer gray nor soft, Annabelle stared into her daughter's bright gold eyes, her wolf calling Hope's forward.

"I can't," Hope sobbed. "Mom, it hurts."

A few feet away, a father held his son, who was silently crying and wincing every time his sister screamed. Klaus felt each scream like a dagger to the heart, and wished he could kill the witches that did this to her all over again.

"You can!" Anna exclaimed. She bared her wickedly sharp teeth and growled. "Let it come. Shift!"

With a final scream, a young brown wolf stood where Hope had been, trembling on four unsteady legs.

With a sigh, Annabelle shifted as well. The larger brown wolf sniffed her daughter, nuzzling her chin comfortingly. Anna then glanced at Klaus, whose golden eyes met hers. She could see the tension in his body, since he was holding back shifting himself.

"Hope?" Mason approached his sister hesitantly.

Hope looked up at him, then pressed her ears back and nuzzled his offered hand. It seemed to be enough reassurance for her twin, who nodded at his father, who quickly assumed his gray wolf form.

Mason looked at the trio, a slight smile on his face. "I guess I'll call Aunt Rebekah, see how things are going state side."

A soft snort came from the gray wolf, who watched his son as he walked back into the mansion to join the other wolves who had not shifted yet- including Stella and Dante.

Standing on the porch, Dante nodded to Mason as he approached. "So, your sister...?"

Mason shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. His brow furrowed in a similar way that Klaus' did. "Yeah. Witches."

Stella winced sympathetically. "So many are turning away from ancestral magic," she said sadly. "And to think they forced Hope to kill one of their own... that is still their most heinous crime."

"I know," Mason murmured, hearing the screams and snapping of bones as the witch Celeste burned for her own crimes.

"Come, let's go inside. I know where the good whiskey is hidden," Dante said with a smirk that instantly lightened the mood.

Ooo0ooO

The warm night air was tinged with the scent of grapes and freshly turned earth, all of which called to Hope's more basic instincts in her wolf form. She could hear the scurrying of smaller animals through the grass and rows of aging grapes, and part of her wanted to track, to hunt.

She ran with the other wolves, safely tucked between her parents. Her father's coat gleamed silver in the moonlight, and she liked how her own coat mirrored her mother's. It solidified her status as a Davis even more.

The pack followed behind their white haired Alpha, Antonio, who slowed once the reached the peak of the foothills. The wolves then slowed and gathered in a loose half circle around him. Hope sat down, breathing heavy, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She tensed when she saw Antonio approached each wolf, touching muzzles and exchanging scents.

When he reached her father, the white Alpha merely bowed his head, recognizing Klaus' own position as Alpha. He did the same with Annabelle, the female Alpha, but did pause in front of Hope. Once again, Hope felt torn as to what to do. Part of her wanted to bare her neck to the Alpha, to submit and show respect, but another part held her back. She was not a part of his pack.

Instead, she mimicked his head bow, like he had done to her father. She recognized him as Alpha, but not her Alpha. A soft, almost laughter-like growl erupted from the other Alpha's chest, and his eyes seemed to sparkle like they did in his human form.

When the pack moved on to continue their loop around the territory, Hope allowed herself to run fully out, enjoying the feeling of her paws against the ground and the wind through her coat. Her parents followed at a distance, allowing her to feel the rush of freedom that came with running wild.

As the night went on, the wolves slowly made their way back to the mansion. Many shifted back, golden eyed but no longer under the moon's pull, but Hope relished in her new form until she saw her brother waiting for her on the porch.

Shifting back without realizing it, nor feeling any pain, she dashed up the stairs and threw herself into his arms, laughing. "Mason, it was incredible!" she exclaimed. "I wish you could feel this! I've never felt so..."

"Alive?" Mason finished, grinning.

Hope laughed, brushing her wild curls back from her flushed face. "Exactly."

Mason felt a small tug in his heart, wishing the same, but also knowing what that would entail. "Maybe one day," was all he offered.

Hope smiled, understanding him perfectly, and hugged him once more, finally feeling at one with herself and her wolf.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	27. Home

Chapter Twenty Six: Home

" _Hold on, to me as we go_

 _As we roll down this unfamiliar road_

 _And although this wave is stringing us along_

 _Just know you're not alone,_

 _Settle down, it'll all be clear_

 _Don't pay no mind to the demons_

 _They fill you with fear_

 _The trouble it might drag you down_

 _If you get lost, you can always be found..._ "

-Phillip Phillips

Ooo0ooO

After a few more days in Italy, Annabelle, Klaus, and the twins said their goodbyes to the Italian pack and moved on. Annabelle promised that they would visit again soon, and told Stella she was welcome to meet up with them once they were back in the states. The younger werewolf eagerly accepted her invitation, and Antonio thanked them all for coming.

The family visited London next, then Paris. Slowly, they explored more and more of Europe, from the great cities to the lost, ancient areas that only Klaus knew. Two weeks passed by before they knew it, and it was agreed on that it was time to go back home.

They went back to the states, and found themselves following Annabelle as she lead them into the old territories that she had once called home. It was in the less populated area of Colorado, close to the Rockies. The area was deep in the heart of a forest, surrounded by foothills and rivers, and the air smelled like the snow that rested on the peaks of the mountains close by.

Annabelle felt her heart constrict. These trees were still so familiar to her, even though she had not come home since her and Charlie had left. It felt like yesterday, and yet, so long ago...

"Mom?"

Anna turned and smiled at her daughter. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

"Are you all right?" Hope asked, moving to stand next to her mother.

Opting for honesty, Annabelle replied, "I don't know. I haven't been here in years, and I thought by now I would've moved past the memories, but..." She rubbed a hand over her eyes, and found her cheeks damp. "It's silly."

Hope wrapped an arm around her. "Tell me about your life here."

Annabelle looked back out over the trees, the nearby valley, listening to the sound of the river and the distant laughter of her mate and their son as they explored close by. "We had a small pack here. No more than twenty wolves. We were very private, given our bloodline. My father was Alpha, and so was my mother. Charlie was being groomed to be the next Alpha, since he was older, and I was going to be his Beta." Annabelle stopped, taking a breath, rubbing a hand over her heart. "And then one day, the pack closest to us found out about our bloodline and threatened to take over our territory. Their Alpha was a distant relative of my father, and he got it in his head that since he was older, that meant he had a birthright to the lands that had always been ours.

"My father lead our pack to meet theirs, and it ended in a fight. My pack lost, and both of my parents were killed. Charlie rounded the rest of us up, but the wolf that had been our father's Beta drove us out for our protection. Since we were the last of our bloodline, the remaining pack members thought it was imperative that we disappear. So we did. We left and ran away. Charlie and I made it fine on our own, and then..."

"The dreams started," Hope finished, knowing the beginning of this story.

Annabelle nodded. "Charlie and I left Colorado and began moving our search to other states. Then that night with the other pack, when he was taken... Well, I felt lost. I only had the memory of my parents, the fear of losing my brother, and the image of a strange man in my dreams in guide me. I felt like I lost myself for the time I was alone, since I mostly lived in my wolf form. I felt like a part of myself was gone forever. And then I found your father, and he gave me back my brother."

"Is that why you promised never to run? Because of what happened after your parents...?" Hope trailed off.

"That was part of it, yes," Anna said. "The other part was because I found someone who was just as alone as I was, just as lost. Although your father had many who followed him, they feared him. When he helped me, I knew there was a part of him that wasn't truly lost to this darkness he found himself in."

"So what did you do?"

Annabelle's gaze grew distant again as she remembered. "I made a promise." Her hand absently touched the soul mark on her left wrist, and Hope studied it for a moment. "And I stayed by his side, through his darkness and through the rest. Through it all."

Hope turned her gaze to the distant mountains, thinking it all over. "Would you change anything? If you could go back?"

"No," Annabelle said. "Because everything worked out as it was meant to be. Nothing about it was easy, and we lost people along the way, but in the end..." Annabelle embraced her daughter, pulling her close. "I wouldn't change anything, because I have you and Mason, and a new family to love."

Hope smiled, leaning against her mother, resting her head on her shoulder.

Ooo0ooO

"Annabelle?"

Turning, Anna smiled. "Hi."

Klaus sat down next to her. His blue eyes were dark, like the night sky. The sun had already set and the twins were asleep, and the darkness had enveloped the land along with a peaceful kind of silence.

Annabelle had moved to sit alone at the top of a high foothill, which overlooked the valley. Klaus had followed her when he saw she was not at the campsite after their children went to asleep in front of the fire.

"I overheard your conversation with Hope earlier," he began.

Annabelle released a quiet breath. "It wasn't an easy one."

"Why did you never tell me about what happened to you before you and I met?"

Annabelle looked at him, and realized he wasn't hurt nor upset, merely wondering. "I'm sorry I didn't. It wasn't easy telling Hope. I think part of me wanted to bury it, put it all behind me and forget about it. And for a long time, I did. I had my brother, then I had you, and I figured what else could I possibly need or want? But being here-," she gestured all around them, "it brought it all back. The memories, the love, the pain... and it was like losing it all again, because I knew I could never have that part of my life back. And I'm so happy that we came, that our children are seeing and learning about their roots, and you're here by my side... but it still hurts, Klaus. It's like a hole in my chest."

Klaus took her in his arms, moving her so she was cradled in between his legs with her back pressed to his front. "I am sorry that this is causing you pain, my Anna. I do wish I could give them back to you. I wish I could give it all back to you."

Annabelle leaned against her mate, brushing away the tears with frustration. "Am I being selfish? For wanting it all? I already have a mate and a wonderful husband, two beautiful children, my brother and Hayley, and your family too..." Her voice broke slightly.

"You needed to say your goodbyes, love," Klaus murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You couldn't run from this forever."

Annabelle huffed, turning to look at him. "How are you being so calm?"

"Because this is what you need, even if you don't want it. You did this for me, allow me to do this for you."

Annabelle's expression crumbled again, and she nuzzled her way under his jaw. "Thank you."

Rubbing a hand up and down her back soothingly, Klaus whispered back, "I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

And for a long time, they sat alone, and Annabelle allowed herself to grieve over what had once been and what had been lost, and allowed herself to let the ghosts of her past go. They would live on in her memory forever, a bright, warm memory that filled her with happiness, and nothing could take that away from her.

When she drifted off into sleep, she dreamed of those who they had lost. She saw her parents, her old pack, and she even saw a few old and familiar faces who had once haunted her dreams along ago- Finn and Kol, waving from a distance, and when she waved back, they gave her a nod before they slowly disappeared, leaving her alone with a sense of closure she had never felt before.

Ooo0ooO

Mystic Falls would always be home first to Annabelle, even before the Quarter in Louisiana. The streets were quiet as she walked down them, smiling when she saw a group of teenagers walking out of the Grill. When a cop car passed her, she remembered her first meeting with Caroline and her mother, and she smirked, shaking her head.

When she reached her destination, she lifted her hand and knocked on the door. When it opened, her brother smiled widely.

"You're back!" he exclaimed before wrapping her in a tight hug.

Annabelle hugged him just as tightly, inhaling his familiar scent. "Just got back a few hours ago. Klaus and the kids are at the mansion unpacking."

"And they didn't want to visit?" Charlie asked, lifting a hand to his chest as if offended.

Annabelle scoffed, walking inside the apartment. "Unpacking is a priority."

"And is that why you delegated it to your mate?" Charlie teased.

"Exactly," Annabelle replied, grinning. She sat down on the couch.

"Tell me about your trip."

And she did. Charlie's expression changed when she told him about going back home, and finally getting the closure she didn't realize she needed.

"When you went back, after Meredith, did you feel the same?" Anna asked.

Charlie leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. It was... cathartic? It felt like something I was supposed to do." He ran his hand through his hair, then his hand began playing with the ring on the chain around his neck. "It felt nice getting to say goodbye, you know?"

Annabelle nodded, then her gaze dropped to the ring. "And do you feel ready to move on?"

Understand her double meaning, Charlie sighed. "For a long time after I went, no. But the more time I spend with you and Klaus, and the kids, the more I think, I want this. It's something I always wanted. When I found Meredith, all of that seemed possible."

"And now?" Anna prompted gently.

"I think I'm opened to the idea of wanting that again," Charlie replied, smiling.

Annabelle reached over, taking her brother's hand in hers. "I'm glad."

Charlie squeezed her hand. "Me too. What about you? Ready for eternity?"

"I am now," Anna said, her gray eyes shining.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Pl** **ease review!**


	28. Pictures of You

Chapter Twenty Seven: Pictures of You

" _Remembering you standing quiet in the rain_

 _As I ran to your heart to be near_

 _And we kissed as the sky fell in,_

 _You were bigger and brighter and whiter than snow,_

 _There was nothing in the world_

 _That I ever wanted more_

 _Than to feel you deep in my heart..._ "

-The Cure

Ooo0ooO

A hand traced the curve of a slender hip, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps. That hand then moved onto a trembling thigh, caressing the heat centered there. A soft moan filled the air, and was followed by a whisper of a name.

Klaus watched as his mate writhed beneath him as his clever fingers drove her up and over the peak once more. Her skin was dewed with sweat, gleaming like a pearl in the dull sunlight.

Annabelle then rose over him, positioning herself just so, before guiding him into her slick heat. Her hair, long and loose, tumbled freely over her shoulders, a dark contrast to her flushed skin. Her gray eyes were as hazy as smoke as they held his gaze, blurred with pleasure.

Leaning up, Klaus captured a pink nipple between his lips, which caused Anna to arch into him. Her fingers threaded themselves into his gold curls, quietly beseeching him to continue. He allowed her to set the rhythm, which started slow and steady, with the rise and fall over her body with his.

Klaus' lips then moved up along the curve of her neck, biting down gently. He growled possessively, and both him and his wolf whispered, _Mine_.

 _Yours_ , Annabelle whispered in his mind, even as she gasped his name once more.

Placing his hands on her hips, Klaus began driving deeper inside her, before using one hand to caress the nub above her entrance. Annabelle's head rolled back, exposing the lovely length of her throat again, and her movements became more frantic under his ministrations.

Anna's hands grappled for purchase on Klaus' shoulders, and her nails dug into his skin, making him growl more loudly. Her lips clashed with his, and teeth and tongues battled for dominance and were punctuated by gasps and moans.

Relentlessly, Klaus broke off the kiss, taking her breast again, setting his teeth into that pebbled peak. His mate cried out, and he felt her walls begin to tighten around him as she climaxed. When it became too much, Klaus quickly followed, shouting into the hollow of her throat.

Ooo0ooO

Steam rose lazily off of the fragrant, hot water in the tub. There were no bubbles to distort the naked bodies of the two mates that were lounged inside. Klaus leaned back on one end, smirking at his mate who sat on the other side. His hand grasped her bent knee, tracing circles along the inside.

Annabelle's damp hair was tied up high, exposing a love bitten neck. Her eyes were half closed, her lips curved, and with one hand, she held Klaus' free hand. The other, her left, sat bare on the edge of the tub. She saw Klaus' eyes drop to it, and the sudden displeasure there.

On their last day in Europe, Klaus and Annabelle had indulged in some light hearted activities while the twins were away exploring, which included skinny dipping in what they thought was a remote lake. Unbeknownst to them, a few humans came across their path and had stolen most of their clothes, and Annabelle's wedding band and engagement ring, which she had left on a chain in her pant's pocket.

After giving their children a rather awkward explanation as to why Anna was only dressed in Klaus' shirt, Klaus stayed in his wolf form to spare them further embarrassment. Klaus had wanted to track them down, but by the time they had gotten him and Anna into proper clothes, a rainstorm had rolled in, washing away any trace of scent before the skies cleared just as quickly as they had darkened.

Although Anna was saddened by the loss of the rings, having loved her sapphire ring and designed band very much, she reminded Klaus that she did not need something like a ring to tell the world that she was married and bonded to him. The proof was in the soul marks, as faded as they were, and from their rather extensive, well known story.

Anna squeezed his hand. "Stop thinking about it."

Klaus' blue eyes darkened. "If that blasted rainstorm hadn't _blown in_ -,"

Laughing, Anna leaned forward slightly, capturing his chin with her fingers. "Am I so ugly without them?" she asked teasingly.

Klaus turned, nuzzling his cheek into her palm, kissing the inside of her wrist. "My Anna, that is impossible."

"Then don't think about it anymore," she said. "I am yours, you know that. Isn't that enough?"

The same possessive growl rumbled in his chest. He reached out, curling his hand gently around her neck to pull her closer. "It will always be," he murmured, before kissing her.

Ooo0ooO

A week later, Hope leaned against the balcony, enjoying the cool breeze. Her hair fell down her back, nearly to her waist, in soft brown waves. Her gray eyes tracked the movements in the forest.

Hope and Mason had gone to visit their Uncle Charlie along with Hayley, and had spent most of the day away from the mansion again. They had all enjoyed lunch at the Grill, and had run into a few familiar faces- like Bonnie, and surprisingly, Damon.

Hope's brow furrowed as she thought about the dark haired vampire. His eyes were like chips of ice, and although he seemed charming, she was unimpressed. She had been around Damon a few times, and preferred his brother's company whenever they ran into the other Salvatore.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was a welcomed sight. The witch, along with Bennett, was a great mentor for the twins, guiding them through their experience with magic. Hope invited her to visit the mansion next time Bennett came, and the witch seemed all too eager to accept at the mention of the witch Hybrid's name.

Hope's lips twitched at that.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught some odd movement in the trees. Hope stiffened, her eyes narrowing slightly, before they blew wide and she let out an excited cry.

"Mason, they're here!"

In a flash, Mason was standing on the balcony, and he grinned when he saw two figures emerge from the woods. The twins exchanged excited looks, before they both called out for their parents, announcing the arrivals.

Ooo0ooO

Stella and Dante stood in front of the mansion, both with rounded eyes, as they took it all in. Then the front door opened, and they were greeted enthusiastically by Hope and Mason.

Stella and Hope embraced tightly, and when Hope turned to Dante, she felt a blush sting her cheeks. "Uh, hi," she said, inwardly wincing when she heard how weird her voice sounded.

"Hi yourself," Dante laughed, before hugging her as well.

The blush darkened and Hope had to bite her lip to keep from grinning stupidly. She looked up and saw her mom and dad waiting by the doorway. The Italian werewolves went to greet them, and while Hope walked inside, Anna reached out, poking her cheek before giving her a knowing smirk. Hope batted her hand away, giving her mom a half-hearted glare.

"Your home is... incredible," Dante told Klaus, openly gawking.

They were then greeted by Hayley, Elijah, and Rebekah, who were all waiting in the living room. Hayley walked right up to Stella, asking her if she was the one calling herself Anna's cousin. Anna stiffened for a moment, unsure about the look in Hayley's eyes.

But she relaxed when Hayley grinned, announcing that made her and Stella cousins too. Rebekah interjected, saying how technically Annabelle was related to all of the werewolves, but Hayley waved her off, dismissing it as a "technicality".

Off to the side, Elijah and Klaus stood side by side as the others got equated with one another. They each held a glass of whiskey.

"Did you buy it yet?" Elijah asked in a low voice.

"What?" Klaus asked, feigning ignorance.

Elijah slated him a look, making Klaus chuckled. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you," was all Elijah had to say.

"Am I that obvious, brother?"

"When it comes to her?" Elijah gestured to Annabelle, who was whispering with Rebekah as they watched Hope and Dante talk. Elijah shared a knowing look with his wife, before looking at Klaus. "Yes."

Klaus slipped his hand into his pocket, brushing his fingertips against the velvet box. "Shame. I used to be so cunning in my youth."

The brothers both chuckled this time, before Elijah patted his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I remember the first time," he said, a small smile gracing his lips. "You called me for advice on flowers."

"Colors," Klaus nodded, remembering as well. "That was... one of the best days of my life."

"Perhaps we can create another?"

Klaus lifted a brow. "Do you have something in mind?"

Elijah smirked. "Perhaps. Unlike yourself, I still am quite cunning."

Ooo0ooO

While the guests moved to the other room, Hayley shoved Anna into another room despite her protests.

"Hayley, as much as I appreciate your lack of manners-,"

Hayley shushed her, hazel eyes narrowed. "Something's different about you."

Annabelle furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? Nothing is different."

Hayley leaned in close, her nose nearly brushing with Anna's. They locked gazes, both of them refusing to move. But Anna caved first, leaning away and releasing the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"How do you know?" she demanded.

"Your scent is slightly off," Hayley said, grinning. "Not far along?"

"No," Anna confessed. "I recognized the signs only a few days ago. It was the same as the first time around."

Hayley's grin melted away, and she gave Anna a concerned look. "Are you all right?"

Anna nodded, smiling. "Bonnie confirmed it last night with a spell," she said in a low voice. "I haven't told anyone yet."

Throwing her arm over her cousin's shoulder, Hayley said, "Your secret is safe with me, then."

Ooo0ooO

A few days later, Annabelle woke up to a surprisingly empty mansion. Getting up, she searched every room and found them all deserted, with no note left behind. Huffing, she placed her hands on her hips.

"Rude," she murmured, perplexed.

 _Good morning, my Anna._

Anna almost jumped at the sound of her mate's voice in her head. _Klaus! Where is everybody?_

 _Come down to the river and see._

Confused as ever, Anna quickly got dressed before heading out the door. The weather was cool and crisp, and she longed to shift to enjoy it, but her curiosity about Klaus won over the urge.

Moving a branch aside, Anna stepped into the clearing by the river and gasped.

Not unlike their wedding, the riverbanks were decorated with floating lights and bouquets of flowers, mostly roses. She saw her whole family standing together, apparently waiting for her, but her eyes fell to her mate, who was smirking rather widely.

"What is all of this?" she asked as he came forward, gathering her hands in his.

Klaus kissed her hands, drawing her down to the water's edge. "Annabelle, it is here you and I were bonded as one. I felt-," a sudden throat clearing had Klaus rolling his eyes before amending his sentence, " _we_ felt that it was only appropriate that I do this here, in front of our families."

With wide eyes, Anna watched her mate sink onto a knee, drawing a velvet box out of his pocket. "Klaus," she gasped.

The lid was opened, and a brilliant ring gleamed in the sunlight. On a braided silver band, a oval shaped moonstone gleamed white and blue. It was a startling difference from her original engagement ring- which had been a sapphire on a thick gold band- but it was just as stunning.

Klaus reached out for her left hand. "So it is to you, my Anna, that I propose we renew our vows here, in front of our ever growing family."

Watching as the ring slid onto her finger, Anna felt tears sting her eyes as she knelt down to kiss Klaus, punctuating them all with a resounding "yes". The others cheered, and Anna laughed, but her gaze was still locked on her mate's.

When they stood, Annabelle grasped his hand. "I have something for you as well, my love." She smiled that well known smile of hers.

"What is it?" Klaus asked, pulling her close again.

Annabelle flashed Hayley a bright smile before leaning up on her toes to whisper it in his ear, but it was loud enough for the rest to hear. Klaus' eyes widened, then dropped to her flat stomach, before he embraced her again.

Hope leaned on Mason's shoulder. "I wonder what it's going to be like to have a younger sibling running around," she mused.

"As long as I'm not on diaper duty, I think it would be great."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Although it pains me to say this, there are three chapters left in our story before the _A Wolf's Mate_ series officially comes to a close. I can't believe it!**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


	29. La Vie en Rose

Chapter Twenty Eight: La Vie en Rose

" _Hold me close and hold me fast_

 _This magic spell you cast,_

 _Give your heart and soul to me_

 _And life will always be_

 _La vie en rose..._ "

-Édith Piaf

Ooo0ooO

"Moonstone is known for possessing healing energies; it's linked to peace and unconditional love, and like the moon, holds the power of mystery."

A book slammed shut, and Hayley rolled her eyes.

"It goes on about feminine energies, more about the moon, blah blah blah..."

Hope giggled. "You're such a romantic, Aunt Hayley."

Hayley glanced down at her rose gold rings. Then she arched her brow. "Is this one of those things were you say one thing but mean another thing?"

From the other couch, Mason snorted. "You mean sarcasm?"

Hayley threw the other twin a dirty look. Opening the book with a sharp movement, she tapped her fingertip against a yellowed page. "Diamonds symbolize a deep, everlasting love. Does that-," she closed the book again, glaring, "not sound romantic to you, little Hybrid?"

Elijah strolled in, his expression impassive. When he saw his wife's expression, he tutted. "Now, did you allow them to ruffle your feathers then, love?"

Hope and Mason burst out laughing when Hayley's expression only grew more sour. She pouted when Elijah handed her a cup of tea, but she did smile when he kissed her cheek.

"Remind me again why you wanted to know about moonstones," Hayley said, looking at Hope again with a less threatening look in her eyes.

"I was curious about Mom's new ring," Hope said. "Sapphires are meant to protect against darkness and evil, in some beliefs. It seems fitting now that the... darkness has passed, she has something new to celebrate the, well-,"

"Peace and love?" Mason finished, grinning.

Hope rolled her eyes. She glanced at her uncle. "How is she?"

"Much sicker than I remember her being with the both of you," Elijah confessed. "Bonnie and Bennett are keeping an eye on her. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong," he assured them, when he saw the concerned expressions. "Bennett believes this time is different because she's a Hybrid, and before she was still only a werewolf."

"How would that affect her differently?" Mason asked, brow furrowed.

"We don't know. This is only the second recorded Hybrid pregnancy, first with a Hybrid mother."

Mason nodded. He, like the others, knew that Bennett's birth had been kept secret for a very long time, and kept hidden from any records. But unlike Anna, Bennett's mother, who had also been a werewolf, did not survive the birth.

"Do you think it's the magic?" Hope asked suddenly.

"The magic?" Hayley repeated.

Hope crossed her legs. "Well, Mason and I are not _just_ vampire and werewolf Hybrids. We are part witch too. If the new baby is like us, maybe the baby's magic is affecting Mom."

Elijah and Hayley exchanged a look, before Hayley nodded and stood. "I'll pass the theory along. Maybe she wants company."

When Hayley left the room, the twins looked back at Elijah.

"Do you know when Uncle Charlie's going to be back from Italy?" Mason wanted to know.

"Two days," Elijah replied. "Dante and Stella are still making their decision."

The Italian werewolves had stayed with the Mikaelsons for a week before going back to their pack. Charlie accompanied them, insisting he would be their escort while Bennett made the journey over. Charlie would then return to the states with Antonio, who would be officiating the vow renewals.

Klaus and Annabelle had extended an offer to the younger werewolves- they were welcome to stay at the Mystic Falls mansion, which had plenty of spare rooms, for as long as they'd like. Stella seemed excited about the offer, since she was eager to do more research on werewolf bloodlines to learn more about their histories. Dante had thanked them profusely, before sending a wink at Hope that made the young Hybrid blush so fiercely the red in her cheeks did not fade for the rest of the day.

"I hope they stay," Mason declared. "It'll be nice having wolves around that are our age."

Elijah seemed amused at the statement. "Tired of being around boring adults?"

Mason smirked. "Something like that."

Hope didn't answer, but merely daydreamed with a silly smile.

Ooo0ooO

Annabelle was dozing lightly when she heard a gentle knock at the door. Hope then pushed it open, giving her mother a small smile. Opening her arms, Anna smiled when her daughter crawled into bed with her, resting her cheek against the ever so slight curve of her mother's stomach.

For the last few days, it seemed that the twins both enjoyed lying with her, listening to the heartbeat of the newest Mikaelson. Klaus, after hearing it for the first time, wondered out loud how he had once again missed the wonderful sound. Anna had teased him, saying both times he had been thoroughly distracted by his oh so desirable wife and mate, to which he growled his agreement before pressing a stubbled cheek to her bare stomach.

"It's like a hummingbird's wing," Hope whispered.

Anna ran her hand through Hope's hair, marveling at how long it had gotten. "Will it be strange, having a sibling so much younger than you and your brother?" Anna asked, her voice soft yet full of sudden anxiety.

Hope sat up slightly. "I don't think so," she said. "I mean, I wasn't surprised. Aunt Rebekah told me about the loophole that 'lead to the creation of us'-," she air quoted, "and now that applies again." She shrugged in a way that reminded Anna of Klaus.

"You're my sweet girl," Anna said affectionately, touching her daughter's cheek. "And you're going to be a wonderful big sister."

Hope's cheeks flushed. "Thanks, Mom." Leaning back down, Hope closed her eyes to focus on the heartbeat again. "Have you thought of any names?"

"A few," Anna murmured, smiling. "But that's a secret between your dad and me for now."

"Going to name her after anyone?" Hope asked, thinking of her and her brother's middle names.

"You think it's a girl?" Anna laughed, shaking her head. "But, no. We did that for you both because you were our firstborns," Anna said, recognizing her meaning. "And although we have plenty of family to commemorate, we agreed it was time for a fresh start." Anna smiled, still caressing Hope's hair. "You and Mason, and your new sibling, you're the next generation of Mikaelsons. It starts again with you."

Ooo0ooO

The day of the ceremony, the sky was a deep blue and the air was kissed with the promise of rain. Although the clouds did not appear until later, the sun shined down brightly on the small gathering.

Much smaller than the wedding, the ceremony only included close family and friends. The affair was much more casual, with the men in button down shirts and dark pants or jeans, while the women wore lighter, more summery outfits. A loose half circle was formed around Annabelle and Klaus, who stood in the center in front of Antonio.

The older werewolf spoke of how love was an everlasting force, something that could not be seen but felt, and it was the reason that life was full of light and joy and hope, and it was the power to stave off the darkness.

Annabelle smiled, clasping her hands tightly in her mate's. She vowed to always give her love, her friendship, and her protection to Klaus, always and forever. She again vowed never to run, even though it might be difficult with a belly that grew more swollen by the day. That earned a few laughs.

Klaus stared deep into those gray eyes, the ones she had passed onto their firstborns, and wondered if their next child would bear them as well. When Anna finished, Klaus began.

He spoke of how hollow the family words of always and forever seemed before he found her. He acknowledged he spoke those words to a family he loved, in his own way, but he didn't understand their true meaning until she walked into his life, until he felt her soul converge with his own. When the link was made, and soul was bonded to soul, he felt it all. He vowed that for always and forever, he would love her, protect her, fight with her and fight for her. He vowed he would always find her, his light, his love, his Annabelle. He finished by saying how eternity was not long enough for him to show her the depth of his love, but he would try.

When they kissed, a warm, gentle, soft white light engulfed the crowd. Annabelle gasped, remembering how a similar light had shone when the soul bond was first being forged, and Klaus smirked at the shared memory.

The light of the soul bond then faded, leaving behind its mark on the mates, from their ring fingers twining up to their hearts, once more. The final color it would take, and it would remain, was a soft, faded white- the color associated with light, protection, and perfection.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: Here's an OC fancast refresher; Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson (Frida Gustavsson), Charlie Davis (Eoin Christopher Macken), Antonio (Donald Sutherland - with brown eyes), Bennett (Michiel Huisman), Mason Davis-Mikaelson (Max Barcazk - with gray eyes), Patrick (Josh Holloway). Stella (** **Emeraude Toubia - with gray eyes), Dante (Matthew Daddario).** **Hope, of course, is Danielle Rose Russell, like on the show. As for Davis-Mikaelson #3? Stay tuned!**

 **Two chapters left...!**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


	30. Capital Letters

Chapter Twenty Nine: Capital Letters

" _Never was a leader_

 _Never had a thing for fairytales_

 _Not a really a believer, no_

 _Small voice in the quiet_

 _Guess I never dared to know myself,_

 _But then there was you_

 _Yeah, then there was you..._ "

-Hailee Steinfeld & BloodPop

Ooo0ooO

The first time Charlie Davis stepped foot in Italy, a surge of power shot through his body, like a bullet to the chest. His vision went white, and suddenly he saw a flash of dark red hair, and smelled nothing but honeysuckle.

When he came to, only a few seconds had passed. He looked at Bennett, startled, and was met with a knowing smirk from the witch Hybrid.

"What the hell was that?" he managed to choke out, resting a hand against a nearby wall.

Bennett laughed, clapping a hand against Charlie's shoulder. " _Tuo futuro_."

Charlie remembered enough high school Spanish to get the gist. When he gave the other man a confused look still, his hand unconsciously rubbed the skin over his heart, which was beating rapidly.

"Come," Bennett urged, still chuckling. "The others are waiting."

Ooo0ooO

Antonio was waiting for them when they arrived to the mansion. He greeted them both warmly, welcoming Charlie to Italy.

Charlie looked around, taking in the sight of the rolling foothills and the green vineyards. He grinned. "It's beautiful. My sister didn't describe it well enough to do it justice."

Antonio laughed loudly. "I'll be sure to mention that to her when we see her. Come, I'll take you on a tour."

"Have Dante and Stella made up their minds yet?" Charlie asked as they strolled along the land.

"Yes," Antonio replied. "It seems your pack will be gaining two more members."

"None of us doubted that," Charlie admitted. "Stella is already attached to Anna, and Dante, well..."

"Has set his sights on something more than just the pack?" Antonio finished, his eyes gleaming.

Charlie chuckled, touching the end of his nose with the tip of his finger. "He's brave, I'll give him that."

"Because of Hope's father?"

Charlie scoffed. "Because Hope would break his arm by batting her eyelashes if he ever hurt her. That girl..." He smiled fondly, thinking of his niece. "Is something more than we ever expected."

"Both the Mikaelson children are," Antonio agreed.

"Davis-Mikaelson," Charlie corrected, smirking.

Ooo0ooO

The next morning, Charlie left the mansion early to walk through the vineyards. He moved slowly, enjoying the smell of the dawn and the earth.

Shading his eyes, he turned a corner to walk through another row of vined grapes when his eyes were drawn to a flash of dark, dark red hair. He froze, his eyes widening, when the redhead turned.

The smudge of dirt on her pale cheek stood out, and Charlie's gaze was drawn to that before it was pulled into a pair of dark eyes. From a distance, they looked black, but when her head tilted slightly, he could see they were a very deep shade of brown.

The redhead rose from her crouch, having been on her knees to pick low hanging grapes. Even from where he stood, he could smell the dirt smudging her skin, as well as her own scent- the tantalizing mix of wolf and honeysuckle.

When she approached, Charlie felt rooted to the ground. There was nothing but her, not the sun nor the earth, not the grapes growing inches away from him, only her, and something in his chest burned.

The werewolf stopped in front of him, looking up at him, being several inches shorter than him. Her lips curved into a smirk. "So," she said, in a lilted Scottish accent. "There you are."

Ooo0ooO

"Anna, I'd like you to meet Kelley MacDonald," Charlie said, presenting the pretty redhead by his side. "Kelley, this is my sister, Annabelle Davis-Mikaelson."

Annabelle smiled widely, reaching out to take Kelley's hand in hers. She felt it then, the smallest echo of a familiar magic. Her gray eyes sparkled when she thought of one thing, _Un'anima legame._

"I'm so pleased to meet you, Anna," Kelley said, smiling. "Charlie has told me so much about you."

"Well, he hasn't shut up about you," Anna said, giving her brother a teasing glance. "So I'm just as pleased to meet you."

Kelley's cheeks colored even as her arm linked with Charlie's. "Your ceremony was beautiful. Thank you for inviting me."

Anna smiled more softly now, her eyes dropping to the white mark on her arm that symbolized her link to her mate. "It's strange and beautiful magic, the soul bond," she said. Her hands then moved to clasp over the ever growing bump.

"I think it's more strange," Charlie stated, his eyes dancing mischievously when he saw Klaus approaching. "To mate you up with this guy."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother in law even as he placed his arm around Anna's waist. "Perhaps she did not find it strange, given the oddity that is her brother."

"Boys," Anna interjected, rolling her eyes. "Play nice. Klaus, have you met Kelley yet?"

"I haven't the pleasure," Klaus said, turning his attention to the other werewolf.

When introductions were done, the guests made their way back to the Mystic Falls mansion. They all gathered in the backyard, where food and drinks awaited them, along with music.

Anna found herself in Klaus' arms, right where she wanted to be, and she gazed in his eyes. "I like her," she stated, smiling sweetly at the sight of her brother dancing slowly with the little redhead.

"You just met her," Klaus said, lifting a brow.

"Before I met you, I knew you were mine. Didn't you feel it, when you shook her hand?" Anna trailed her fingers up the mark on his arm.

Klaus nodded thoughtfully, looking towards the new couple as well. "What do we know about her?"

Anna pressed her cheek against his chest. She sighed when he felt his hands drop to her hips, thumbs grazing along the swell of her stomach. "She's from a pack in Scotland. She came to Italy when she was younger to go to college. He says she has older siblings that will take over her old pack, so she had no obligations to stay." She shrugged a little. "Antonio says she found a new home in his pack. She was the one who helped Stella research her connections to the Davis bloodlines."

"And now our family is getting bigger," Klaus commented, changing his gaze to his daughter, who was talking to Dante. He felt a protective growl rumble in his chest, and blinked when he felt his mate swat his arm.

"No growling," she scolded, even as her lips twitched.

"He's standing awfully close to her."

Annabelle laughed, touching his cheek to draw his attention back to her. "Oh, my Klaus. Don't you remember what it's like to be young and in love?"

A warm smile spread across his features. He reached up, tilting her chin upwards. "I believe I am still young, and I know I am still in love, my Anna," he said in a low voice. He was so close to her, he could see his own reflection in her gray eyes.

Annabelle ran her hand down his cheek affectionately. "Kiss me like the first time."

Klaus smirked, pulling her even closer. He kissed her gently, reverently, and chuckled when he felt her teeth nip his lip in response. Soon, tongues were battling, and he bit her in retaliation. When they pulled apart, both of their gazes were a deep, burning gold.

Then they both laughed, lost in the memory of their first kiss, and the many others that followed.

" _We put a crack in the shadows_

 _And you told me it's okay to be the light_

 _And not to swim in the shallows,_

 _I got something to say now_

 _'Cause you tell me that there's no way I couldn't go_

 _Nothing I couldn't do,_

 _For worst or for better_

 _Gonna give it to you_

 _In capital letters..._ "

Ooo0ooO

The morning the third Davis-Mikaelson entered the world, all was quiet. The growing family was enjoying a quiet morning sleeping in, when all were wakened up by Annabelle's shout when her water broke.

This time, it was Bonnie who pulled the newest baby into the world, assisted by Hope, who was waiting with a warm, clean towel.

Bonnie looked at Anna as she held the baby, smiling. "It's a girl."

Annabelle choked out a laugh, leaning back against Klaus, who kissed her sweat soaked forehead. "A girl," she repeated.

Hope then took her new sister into her arms, and felt the bond awake in her, like how her mother described her connection to Charlie. She laughed softly, wrapping her up gently. Mason peered at their sister over Hope's shoulder, grinning.

The others were gathered outside, waiting. Hayley was smirking, sitting on Elijah's lap, eyeing Charlie. He glared at her when he saw the smug expression she wore. He smiled at Kelley, who was also on his lap, before shifting slightly to pass Hayley a folded five dollar bill.

"Told you," Hayley said, having heard the witch from inside the house announce the baby's gender.

"Hey, it was a 50 50 shot," Charlie grumbled. He smiled a little when Kelley kissed his cheek.

All eyes were on Klaus and Annabelle was they stepped outside, with Annabelle holding a tiny bundle in her arms. She looked at her brother first, lifting a brow. "Did you pay up?"

A few laughed as Hayley waved her winnings triumphantly.

Charlie made a face, but stood when Kelley hopped up, and gazed down at his youngest niece. "So," he began, looking at Klaus and Anna. "What's her name?"

Annabelle and Klaus exchanged a smile.

"Amelia Rae Davis-Mikaelson."

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: flaming dragon girl- your last review honestly made me so happy (and tear up a bit); thank you, thank you for your kind words! Speaking of reading it again- I've been toying around with the idea of going through the trilogy and editing it, so maybe you'll be the first reader once that's been done! (Let's be honest, even though the story might be ending, I'll find it impossible to walk away from it.)**

 **One chapter to go!**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


	31. For You

Chapter Thirty: For You

" _In your eyes, I'm alive_

 _Inside you're beautiful_

 _Something so unusual_

 _In your eyes, I know I'm home_

 _Every tear, every fear_

 _Gone with the thought of you_

 _Changing what I thought I knew_

 _I'll be yours for a thousand lives..._ "

-Rita Ora & Liam Payne

Ooo0ooO

"Hurry up, Amelia! It's starting!"

A young Hybrid turned and smiled. "Be right there, Hope!"

Hope stood at the doorway to her younger sister's bedroom. She wore a shimmering gray dress that had once been their mother's, and her equally gray eyes stood out. Although Hope was years older than her sister, her aging had all but stopped after being taken by the witches. Now the two sisters looked more like twins, with their matching chocolate curls and soft, heart shaped faces.

The arresting difference was Amelia's eyes- a wide, startling deep blue that mirrored their father's midnight depths. The last Davis-Mikaelson child was the perfect harmony of the two bloodlines, from her looks to her strength, from her kindness to her power.

Amelia rose from her vanity, smoothing down her dress. Like Hope, she wore a dress that had been found deep in the confides of their mother's closet. It was a deep, rosy pink dress with a vintage cut, which was paired with nude flats.

When the girls walked out of the room together, arms linked, they were greeted with the sight of their father waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

Klaus felt his chest tighten at the sight of his two daughters. A proud smile broke across his features. "My little wolves."

Amelia giggled, taking her father's offered arm. Hope did the same with the other, and she leaned against him slightly, gray eyes shining.

Klaus' gaze skimmed over the very familiar pink dress his youngest wore. "Did you know," he said, as he began to lead them down the stairs. "That your mother wore that dress the first time she met your uncle Elijah?" When Amelia shook her head, a now more nostalgic smile tugged his lips. "She also wore that the day I proposed to her."

Amelia's eyes widened, a hand brushing down the full skirt reverently.

"Your mother won't mind," Klaus told her, reading her expression. "In fact, she will be happy. My girls-," he looked at them both again, "All grown. Where has the time gone?"

"Nowhere," Hope said, with a secret smile that was nearly identical to Annabelle's. "There's nothing but time."

Ooo0ooO

Standing alone, a golden haired Hybrid waited for the rest of his family to arrive. His gray eyes sought out those already there, and when they spotted his father and sisters, a wide smirk overtook him.

Hope reached for him first, gently withdrawing her arm from Klaus', and looping it through Mason's instead. Looking at him with matching gray eyes, the twins shared an excited smile.

Mason kissed Hope's cheek, then Amelia's. "Almost time," he informed them.

Klaus' gaze lifted, turning towards the crowd. They rested on a slender figure, whose brown curls stood out like her daughter's did. And as if she felt his gaze- or perhaps sensed his thoughts- Annabelle turned and beamed at her mate and children.

When they joined her, Annabelle took Amelia's place next to Klaus. When Annabelle saw Amelia's dress, her thoughts turned to Klaus. He saw the flashing memories in her mind, mostly of the day they got engaged, surrounded by family and flowers.

Today was no different from that day- except those who were promised to be married would be bonded in front of everyone who gathered together. Deep in the forest of Mystic Falls, a great many supernaturals found themselves in a wide clearing for said ceremony. From the vampires to the wolves, the witches to the Hybrids, each and every one of them moved about, talking and sharing in laughter.

Some of them included Patrick, the blonde werewolf, whose hand was clasped by a vampire with black, curling hair. It had been some time before the vampire Emily had agreed to go out with said werewolf, having first met at Annabelle and Klaus' wedding, but soon after, the pair became inseparable.

Then there was Rebekah, the proud and always beautiful Original, standing close to Elijah and Hayley. Her waist was encircled by Marcel's arm, warm and protective. And now both of their hands were adorned with bands, hers being silver and his gold, after having finally tied the knot the year before. Ghosts of the past no longer lingered, and Rebekah glowed in a way that she had not in many years. Marcel, as Anna had put it, smirked in a way that let everyone know that despite many, many years, he had finally got the girl, and she finally had got him.

April Young walked amongst the others, no longer the bright eyed, young girl that she had been when she had first met Annabelle. Godmother to Amelia, she was still as close as ever to the growing Davis-Mikaelson family.

A trio stood together, natives to Mystic Falls, their heads bent close as they whispered to each other. Elena and Caroline exchanged smiles when they saw the way that Bonnie kept looking at the witch Hybrid Bennett, who seemed equally as content at staring back at her, despite his father talking to him. It was to be expected though, since the couple, despite having been together for years, were still as enamored with the other as they had been in the beginning. The next change came in the form of a ring, which was hidden in the pocket of the jacket that Bennett wore.

Under the shade of some trees, the Salvatore brothers watched Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie, and while Damon rolled his eyes at the display, Stefan bore a good-natured smile. After a long time of living in fear, of living divided, seeing the lines between the supernatural groups melt away due to happiness and love was a refreshing and much needed change.

Although they could not claim the years to be easy, they had been endured and everyone here today stood united in ways that could not have been dreamed of. As Elijah was fond of reminding them all, they could not see the stars without the darkness.

It had been several years ago when Amelia had been out alone, and found herself cornered by some humans. When Mason had come to the rescue, the sight of his sister's terrified face had driven any reason from the young Hybrid. There had been one fatality that day, and the consequence was a newly turned Hybrid when the moon rose full. Mason stood in his wolf form, sandy colored and on unsteady legs, his twin had been there to comfort him.

That same fate had found Amelia, who had been practicing her magic two years ago, and had casted a spell to send a bolt of lightning from the sky. Unbeknownst to her, the bolt had struck a human, and it was later when she had discovered what her actions had done. And like before, her older siblings waited and watched in their wolf forms as their little sister screamed through her first transformation. When it was done, a small, gray wolf stood with wide golden eyes, a replica of their father's wolf form.

But even with the misfortune came happiness, like when Marcel and Rebekah married, and when Charlie had proposed to Kelley. The red haired werewolf had integrated herself into their family seamlessly, and found a sisterhood with Annabelle, Rebekah, and Hayley.

So when the day came for them to be married, the crowd was insurmountable.

Ooo0ooO

"Are you ready?"

"Is it okay for me to say yes and no?"

A soft chuckle filled the air. "Yes, Charles."

Charlie grimaced, tugging at his tie. He wore a nice black suit over a white shirt, and the tie that was loosely knotted was a deep gold, like a wolf's eyes. Before he could yank at it again, Anna stepped forward to straighten it for him.

Her hand ghosted over the hollow of his throat, which no longer bore the tri-colored ring he had once wore in memory of Meredith. When Annabelle's eyes met his, they shared an understanding look. That ring had been passed onto her children, his nieces and nephew, to be used when one of them deemed fit, but the story surrounding it would not be forgotten.

"It's almost time," Hayley reminded the siblings, waiting patiently by the doorway.

Charlie nodded, and Anna took his hand on hers. "Together," she reminded him.

When he smirked, he repeated some familiar, comforting words, "Always and forever."

The ceremony began and the air was soon filled with music, the sounds of bells gently ringing in the trees as the wind blew, and of magic. Kelley approached her mate, dressed in a beautiful white gown and matching gold sash. Her dark eyes lit up when they met his, and they both sucked in a breath at opposite ends of the aisle.

Per tradition, Antonio conducted the ceremony, with a smile and twinkling eyes that still had not faded from age. When he declared they were bonded for life, a white light encased the entire area before dimming. The soul bond shared between the pair was not similar to the one shared by Annabelle and Klaus, since no bond was like the other. Therefore, their bond did not physically manifest like Annabelle and Klaus' did with their matching marks. Instead, their hearts beat as one, and each breath they took, they took together.

And then the night was full of celebration, from the dancing and the singing, to the eating and laughing. The cooler night air still pulsed with the magic of the bonding ceremony and any remaining light from the soul bond now glittered like stars.

And there Annabelle found herself wrapped in her mate's embrace as they danced together. Their bodies moved with a familiar, practiced ease, and their eyes did not stray from the other. It was like time had slowed itself for them in this moment, which was still kissed by the promise of forever.

" _Echoes of love_

 _Bind the years_

 _And keep you near,_

 _Blood and bone_

 _You're my soul_

 _And you're my home..._ "

Slowly, the crowed began to pair off to dance to the slow, melodic song that was softly sang by Amelia. She stood with Hope on the stage, and the sister's voices rose and blended into one, beautiful and perfect.

" _You have my love_

 _The heart of me_

 _Every breath I breathe,_

 _We were fated_

 _Through the stones_

 _Time was torn then resewn,_

 _Blood and bone_

 _You're my soul_

 _And you're my home..._ "

The night was slow to fade on, holding onto each moment and breath like a promise.

Even when it all came to an end, it was the beginning.

Ooo0ooO

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the Originals.**

 **Author's Note: I started this incredible journey almost six years ago, and I cannot believe we have reached the end. It all started with an idea which evolved into a trilogy I never would have thought myself capable of writing and completing. Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and enjoying this story as thoroughly as I have. Every one of you is amazing. This trilogy and these characters will always hold a special place in my heart, as I hope they do in yours. As for the rest of the story, I'll let you imagine that for yourselves.**

 **OC fancast- Amelia Rae Davis-Mikaelson (Kaya Scodelario), Kelley MacDonald-Davis (Isla Fisher)**

 **This chapter featured lyrics from Home by Karliene.**

 **Pl** **ease review!**


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